Summary Part 3 Decency Quotient + EQ + IQ = Multiplier effect

“Doing the right thing” and caring.

Simon Sinek: “Leadership is not about being in charge it is about taking care of those in your charge.”

Keith Douglas “Leadership is one of the greatest privileges you can have in the world.”

"Everybody in my team gets an A - my job is to get an A+".

His two questions to help others 'unlock' the edge within:

What are you good at and what do you really enjoy?

Pandemic thoughts as a leadership group at Mastercard, all wrote blogs sharing a day in their life, their experience - we are all finding it tough, and we are in this together. This was hugely impactful for people around the Mastercard business. Enterprise Sales Club is now LIVE at https://www.enterprisesalesclub.com. Our purpose is to enable SaaS Sales Professionals to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learnings. If you want to take your career to the next level, as well as improve your skills in Enterprise Sales, please contact me at [email protected]

Enjoyed the show? Leave us a review on iTunes

How to consistently deliver successful commercial growth?

Is one of the greatest business challenges I have observed.

One of the most accomplished leaders at achieving this is Keith Douglas. We are thrilled to have Keith on the Enterprise Sales show.

Keith is an over-achieving commercial EVP, with 20 years+ Payment industry experience. He is an EVP at Mastercard and responsible for driving forward their key growth area of e-commerce (Mastercard Payment Gateway Services) he has a team of over 400 talented people across the globe.

Keith is a motivating leader who empowers his people, in many ways, ‘get out of their way’ so they can produce their best work. He has created a high performing and enjoyable ‘people centred’ culture. We share similar values including the importance of how you win and not just winning.

We were connected by our mutual friend Anant Patel. Thank you Anant.

Key takeaways:

Part 2

Guiding principles: Keith rules of the road).

Have to lead by example.

1) Be present - always how up and be in the moment.

2) Sharing to empower others – learn from failure.

3) Lead – you get to choose the ‘narrative’ that defines you.

4) Be decisive, encourage others to make decisions.

5) Provoke – challenging self and others, people do not expect Keith to that. Come out of his own shell.

6) Think - not just do, find the time to.

7) Be first or be right, chose carefully. Action orientated.

8) Together is better – as a team we achieve more.

"In terms of your career, your only job to be as good as you can be being you."

Keith manifesto of leading the team:

Everybody gets an A - my job is to get an A+.

See the opportunity and then embrace the challenge.

Encourage to help each other.

I would not be where I am today without that help.

Recognize success and failure.

In terms of giving feedback process helps and recognize and acknowledge failure.

Keith goes first, have to set an example,

Different perspectives are actively encouraged. Engineering and product different lens.

Enterprise Sales Club is now LIVE at https://www.enterprisesalesclub.com.

Our purpose is to enable SaaS Sales Professionals to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learnings.

If you want to take your career to the next level, as well as improve your skills in Enterprise Sales, please contact me at [email protected]

Enjoyed the show? Leave us a review on iTunes

How to consistently deliver successful commercial growth?

Is one of the greatest business challenges I have observed.

One of the most accomplished leaders at achieving this is Keith Douglas. We are thrilled to have Keith on the Enterprise Sales show.

Keith is an over-achieving commercial EVP, with 20 years+ Payment industry experience. He is an EVP at Mastercard and responsible for driving forward their key growth area of e-commerce (Mastercard Payment Gateway Services) he has a team of over 400 talented people across the globe.

Keith is a motivating leader who empowers his people, in many ways, ‘get out of their way’ so they can produce their best work. He has created a high performing and enjoyable ‘people centred’ culture. We share similar values including the importance of how you win and not just winning.

We were connected by our mutual friend Anant Patel. Thank you Anant.

Key takeaways:

Importance of network, Keith said he would not be where he is today if not have the support of his network.

Keith knew he wanted to be a General Manager and committed to that path.

Working with an executive coach 'unlocked' Keith's Edge.

The impact you can have as an individual or as a leader

importance of you - 'the art of being yourself' - understanding yourself

less time on competencies and more time thinking about self.

How to have impact - "if you think you are too small to have an impact you have never been to bed with a mosquito."

What is your edge?

What makes you curious and different?

Enterprise Sales Club is now LIVE at https://www.enterprisesalesclub.com.

Our purpose is to enable SaaS Sales Professionals to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learnings.

If you want to take your career to the next level, as well as improve your skills in Enterprise Sales, please contact me at [email protected]

Enjoyed the show? Leave us a review on iTunes

Is it generating new opportunities?

Is it closing large deals?

Is it learning the technical aspects of latest technology solutions?

Is it engaging with customers?

Is it ensuring your bonus and commission are accurate and paid on time?

My observation is that right now managing upwards, is the single largest stress for enterprise sales professionals.

It is tempting to believe that when not seeing our managers face to face, their influence is less. Yet working from home has led to the need to be in ‘attendance’ even more with the often on back-to-back Zoon calls, leaving no time for natural and mental breaks. People do not do their best work if in ‘fight or flight’ mode.

At its worse this approach can turn into a toxic culture. I have observed toxic environments created by leaders, and the effects on people lives and careers first-hand. The need by leaders to control and be in control is at the root of the problem. From experience I believe that remote working has heightened the current need by leaders to be controlling and to be in control. Lack of physical contact has only added to be ‘command and control’ approach - crazy back-to-back Zoom calls and daily forecast updates...

...Daniel Goleman (the creator of EQ Emotional Intelligence) is:

“Out of control emotions make smart people stupid.”

This is a valuable message, we have to take charge of own mental and emotional state to stay smart, because these distractions are inevitable.

Right now, I regularly find myself sharing the advice below with my private clients:

Put space between the stimulus/event and your response - it leads to better outcomes for you...

...Never react.

Proactively respond:

Response 1 = Park for time being and reflect further. Ask yourself what is the optimal response than will enable you to achieve your goals?

Response 2 = How can I make this Win/Win?

Response 3 = Do nothing.

Response 4 = Ask a colleague or coach their independent view.

Put space between the event and your response, a few deep breaths, go for a walk or even have a night’s sleep. Have multiple responses that work for you.

I want to share a story of one of my clients who was due to have an annual review in Q1 2021.

He was significantly over sales target in 2020.

He is a multiplier who mentors many people within his company.

He is happy at the company, enjoys the culture and customers.

He is always looking to add value to his line manager and colleagues across the globe.

Yet did not feel appropriately rewarded for the value he adds.

He did not want to go down an aggressive route (and high energy investment) of gaining an external offer to justify a pay increase.

So, he decided to own his response, he asked for an early review in December.

He positioned his individual and companywide value to the key decision makers.

A significant (21% increase) in pay was agreed and confirmed before the new year.

I know this figure and timescale might look unrealistic or unreasonable, yet this is what is achievable when we take a proactive, relationship and campaign approach to managing upwards.

Managing upwards is a skill and like any other skill, it improves with deliberate practice. Learning how to negotiate upwards for yourself effectively is such a worthwhile investment, it is an evergreen skill that you can use on a weekly basis to enhance your career, life and even the lives of your families and loved ones. It of course is a route to reducing stress.

To hear more from Daniel Goleman, where Simon Mundie on his podcast channel 'Don't tell me the score' interviewed him.

Enterprise Sales Club is now LIVE at https://www.enterprisesalesclub.com.

Our purpose is to enable SaaS Sales Professionals to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learnings.

If you want to take your career to the next level, and also improve your skills in Enterprise Sales, please contact me [email protected]

How to consistently deliver successful commercial growth?

Is one of the greatest business challenges I have observed.

One of the most accomplished leaders at achieving this is Keith Douglas. We are thrilled to have Keith on the Enterprise Sales show.

Keith is an over-achieving commercial EVP, with 20 years+ Payment industry experience. He is an EVP at Mastercard and responsible for driving forward their key growth area of e-commerce (Mastercard Payment Gateway Services) he has a team of over 400 talented people across the globe.

Keith is a motivating leader who empowers his people, in many ways, ‘get out of their way’ so they can produce their best work. He has created a high performing and enjoyable ‘people centred’ culture. We share similar values including the importance of how you win and not just winning.

We were connected by our mutual friend Anant Patel. Thank you Anant.

Key takeaways:

Importance of network, Keith said he would not be where he is today if not have the support of his network.

Working with an executive coach 'unlocked' Keith's Edge.

The impact you can have as an individual or as a leader

importance of you - 'the art of being yourself' - understanding yourself

less time on competencies and more time thinking about self.

What is your edge?

How to have impact - "if you think you are too small to be effective, have you ever been to bed with a mosquito."

What makes you curious and different?

Guiding principles:

Be present - show up and be in the moment

Share - successes and failures

Be decisive

Together is better

Keith manifesto of leading the team

"In terms of your career, your only job to be as good as you can be being you."

Everybody gets an A - my job is to get an A+

Encourage to help

Recognize success and failure

Different perspectives are actively encouraged.

Decency Quotient + EQ + IQ = Multiplier effect

His two questions to 'unlock' the edge within:

What are you good at and what do you enjoy?

Pandemic thoughts as a leadership group at Mastercard, all wrote blogs sharing their experience - we are all finding it tough and we are in this together.

Enjoyed the show? Leave us a review on iTunes

I have recently been asked why myself and @RobHowes created the Enterprise Sales Club Community, by a number of new subscribers to our podcast channel.

Firstly, the relationship between Rob and myself is well-established - we have been working together for over six years. During out interactions, we observed and experienced certain patterns in the lives and careers of enterprise sales professionals.

Software sales is like a roller-coaster, a challenging yet rewarding career with the opportunity to earn lots of money and travel the world, whilst impacting the company’s bottom line. There is a fine line. When it is good it is great, however, there is a darker side. When you have a bump in the road, it can be a very unhappy place resulting in negative consequences.

Enterprise salespeople might be comfortable negotiating million-dollar deals with corporations, but many are surprisingly poor at negotiating their own salary and managing their careers.

Time after time we witnessed successful sellers confronted by:

You’re only as good as your last quarter.

We know that Enterprise sales professionals will be confronted by the following scenarios:

· You have very little control of your career.

· After a successful year of overachievement, your quota is increased.

· You are ‘punished’ for success and your territory is reduced.

· Your employer is not investing enough (if at all) in your professional development.

· You have limited scope for career progression – ‘just sell more this year…’

· You have inappropriate compensation for the value you add - unfair allocation of pay rise or share options.

· You experience a toxic culture and bullying - sales leaders are promoted into their roles for being the best sellers, but often they make poor leaders.

The truism is that years of consistent pressure take their toll on the mind.

Rob and I concluded that there was a need for a ‘safe’ space for enterprise sales professionals to interact and solve these challenges...

Why did we call it the Enterprise Sales Club?

Enterprise because it serves professionals dealing in large accounts

Sales because Rob and I are both sales practitioners, not theory consultants

Club because we wanted to create an exclusive community

We are an invite-only community, welcoming members who meet the following criteria:

· SaaS Sales professionals with a minimum of 10 years’ experience

· High performers who have regularly exceeded their annual quota

· Members must be a participant, not a lurker

How will Rob and I will help solve your Enterprise Sales and career challenges?

• Our reason to be is to facilitate your ‘Inner Hero’ to come out of its shell.

• We care about people and build relationships that last decades.

• We will shorten your learning curve and take the pain out of the process.

• We are connected with extensive networks built up over 25 years.

• We do what we say we are going to do…we have integrity

As an Enterprise Sales Club member, you will receive:

· Exclusive Content so you can both earn more and learn more.

· Interviews with industry practitioners and thought-leaders.

· Access to stellar partners such as internationally-acclaimed voice coach Lisa Åkesson.

· Access to a private community network.

· Events (coming soon) - we cannot wait to see people face to face!)

· Interactive sessions with industry experts to help you thrive in a competitive world.

· A network of fellow sales professionals whom you can turn to any time for repeatable, scalable advice.

Enterprise Sales Club is now LIVE at https://www.enterprisesalesclub.com.

Our purpose at Enterprise Sales Club is to enable SaaS Sales Professionals to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learnings.

Enjoyed the show? Leave us a review on iTunes

I am a big advocate of utilising what is around us to drive our careers and business forward. Right now, the days are getting longer, the daffodils are in full bloom and our energy levels are rising. It is the ideal time for us to grow by learning and refining our enterprise selling skillset.

Rob Howes (co-founder of Enterprise Sales Club) recently interviewed Dick Dunkel. Dick is the co-creator of the stellar Enterprise Selling methodology, MEDDIC / MEDDICC / MEDDPICC. His key expertise is in Value Selling, Customer Engagement Process and Technology ROI. Throughout his career, Dick has helped major corporations and world-class brands adapt to change and improve business performance through innovative technology and process improvement.

Dick shared great insights on how to succeed and close large deals. This episode is a stellar guide on how to use MEDDICC to identify and qualify “business outcomes”, the process of unlocking funds and credibility.

The key takeaways from his interview are:

• You don't have a champion, only have potential champion until they prove they have access to those with power and funds.

• To ensure that you thrive at enterprise sales during this pandemic, an optimal route is to sell business outcomes. It will give you more control of the timing and likely success of your deals.

• Visualise the end of the deal and backwards engineer each step along the way. It is vital to 'begin with the end in mind', by challenging assumptions, being clear of the economic and political landscape and to realise your role as the protector of company resources.

• An enterprise sale is a two-way value process, so you need to ensure throughout that you have ‘fair exchange of value'. Test if there is real interest in your proposition, by ensuring you are not the only one making commitments.

• You may have to start with steps 1, 2 and 3, then your champion needs to do steps 4, 5 and 6 and back to you to do steps 7, 8 and 9. You can’t be the only one making the commitments...

My personal Key Takeaways that I am implementing:

To thrive during this pandemic, make sure you sell business outcomes. It will give you more control of the timing and likely success of your deals.

It is vital to 'begin with the end in mind'.

Remember during an enterprise sale, it is a two-way value process, so ensure throughout you have ‘fair exchange of value'.

Knowing the decision and engagement plan involving the Economic buyers at the start is vital to a successful outcome of any complex enterprise sale.

Enterprise Sales Club is now LIVE at https://www.enterprisesalesclub.com.

Our purpose at Enterprise Sales Club is to enable SaaS Sales Professionals to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learnings.

If you want to take your career to the next level, as well as improve your skills in Enterprise Sales, please contact me at [email protected]

Enjoyed the show? Leave us a review on iTunes

This week, I have heard many people say to me, “I am so overwhelmed” “I’ve got no time for networking” or “I’ve got no space for my own brand development”. My reply to all these and more is… “What would you do if lost job tomorrow?”

Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, says the following: “If you were made redundant tomorrow, which people would you contact among your existing network? Send them an email today to renew your relationship.”

My aim is to guide and advise clients who think they have a growth mindset, yet reject positive change with phrases such as:

· I can’t because I’m too busy

· I'm overwhelmed

· Branding can wait

In her ground breaking book, Mindset – the New Psychology of Success, the world-famous Carol S. Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, states the following:

“Why waste time proving over and over how great you are, when you could be getting better? Why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them? Why look for friends or partners who will just shore up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also challenge you to grow?

And why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you? The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.”

The hard truth is that to grow your mindset...

...Reposition yourself as a business problem ‘identifier and solver’, rather than as a job seeker.

What is the greatest business problem you could solve for your potential new line manager?

Which companies will you target? Segment and prioritize your target companies into three lists. The A list is 20 immediately attractive potential companies, the B list is the 30 next most attractive potential and the C list is the next 50 most attractive potential companies.

Outline the three key most important criteria for your next move: culture, training opportunities, salary, career progression, mentoring…

What ‘unique value proposition’ can you bring to your next organization?

Use the Three Rs Method of connecting with and influencing people. Right person, Right timing, Right conditions.

Who has the results and has succeeded in the roles you desire? What are the traits and behaviours of the top performers?

Who makes the decisions for the roles within the companies you most desire to work for? The Head of the Company? The Directors? The COO? The CEO?

And what about you? Do you have a strategy to access the hidden job market? Can I help you define your path to your next role?

Let me finish with another quote from Carol Dweck’s seminal book:

“When you enter a mindset, you enter a new world. In one world—the world of fixed traits—success is about proving you’re smart or talented. Validating yourself.

In the other—the world of changing qualities—it’s about stretching yourself to learn something new. Developing yourself”

Yeah, I know networking is hard...YET your career DEPENDS on it

Enterprise Sales Club is now LIVE at https://www.enterprisesalesclub.com.

Our purpose is to enable SaaS Sales Professionals to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learnings.

If you want to take your career to the next level, as well as improve your skills in Enterprise Sales, please contact me at [email protected]

Throughout his career Dick has helped major corporations and world class brands adapt to change and improve business performance through innovative technology and process improvement.

He is the co-creator of the stellar Enterprise Selling, MEDDIC / MEDDICC / MEDDPICC, His key expertise is in Value Selling, Customer Engagement Process and Technology ROI.

We explored with Dick:

How the methodology came about.

Why its vital to 'begin with the end in mind'.

What is 'fair exchange of value'.

Why an engagement plan involving the Economic buyers at the start is vital to any complex enterprise sale.

and much more...

In a recent blog, I shared how Daniel Coyle, author of The Talent Code, highlighted the powerful “windshield effect” – that even a short connection with a role model can improve our belief that we too can excel at a very difficult skill. This has significant implications for our enterprise sales and negotiation ability...

This week I had the honour of interviewing Don MacPherson for the Enterprise Sales show podcast channel. Don is an internationally recognized mind coach who has unlocked potential within elite sports professionals from the fields of Formula One racing, Rugby union and even a Wimbledon tennis champion. Don is a warm and practical guide, who also helps members of the public with their anxiety and performance challenges.

He shared his view on the noise presented by accidental hypnosis, when previously speaking with Clyde Brolin author of 'In the Zone': ‘Ask my wife, Jane, to play tennis and she will politely decline. She’ll say, “I can’t play tennis! I don’t have an eye for the ball or any hand-eye coordination.” But if you gently pry as to why she holds such a view, she’ll say it must be true because, “Everybody has always told me I am hopeless at tennis.”’

‘If you dare to go any further you might enquire who this everybody is. You may know a few: mothers, fathers, grandparents, friends, teachers… They are Jane’s “everybody” and probably yours!...

I can relate to how Jane bought this external information. I know during the earlier stages of my career I did not trust my own instinct, yet trusted my line manager’s judgement much more. In turn, this left me vulnerable to his suggestions and manipulations. I was frustrated but was not sure how to overcome it.

I recall a late-night conversation with my late father who told me, “You have earned the right to use your intuition, as you have made plenty of mistakes.” I am sure here was a backhanded compliment there somewhere if I look hard enough…!

However, I do know one thing about myself - when I get frustrated, I get very curious. So, I started exploring, reading articles, books, and watching videos on how to deliberately build my intuitive muscle. During this process, one of the key accelerators was the body of work from The Times journalist and former UK No 1 table-tennis player, Matthew Syed. In particular, his ground-breaking book ‘Bounce’:

One insight stood out above all others for me:

“There are apparently no limits to improvements in memory skill with practice…its promise that anyone can achieve the same results with opportunity and dedication.”

I thought, if there are no limits to a seemingly “natural talent” and “innate trait” like memory skill, trusting your intuition is like any cognitively complex skill, it is improvable with deliberate practice.

I invite you to filter the information coming into your mind, to challenge the hypnosis from external sources and your own self-talk.

Ask yourself: Does this language enable me to live the life I want and to have the career fulfilment I desire?

Why not create the opportunity to enhance your skillset, right now?

As remote working has become the ‘norm’, one of my executive clients was looking to improve a key leadership skill – candid and thoughtful communication with his team. I know from experience that expanding self-awareness is the key first step to developing this skill. So, I invited him to use a simple framework. Before any vital conversation, check his mind-set and self-talk:

What is the specific purpose of this conversation?

Where is my mindset right now?

Where does my mindset need to be for optimal conversation? (Being open, flexible, and resourceful is a good place to start)...

If you want to take your career to the next level, as well as improve your skills in Enterprise Sales, please contact me at [email protected]