Sales Leader Secrets

• Ep 12: The most famous shop in the world with Anna Moir - Deputy Retail Director for Harrods

  What are the secrets behind running one of the world’s most iconic department stores? Amanda sits down with Anna Moir, the Deputy Retail Director at Harrods, who shares her extensive knowledge gleaned from three decades in the industry. From core leadership qualities to harnessing talent during peak times, and the importance of authentic leadership, Anna provides invaluable advice for aspiring retail leaders. Tune in to uncover the intricacies of retail management, especially during peak times and learn what it takes to thrive in such a dynamic environment. Join us for an episode rich in wisdom, practical tips, and inspirational adviceHere are the Highlights:00:00 Introduction05:12 Dream job: Leading Harrods' iconic food hall.08:09 Strategically position talent for success during peak season.11:20 Leading COVID at John Lewis was transformative.13:54 Hybrid work model allows remote and on-site work, balancing safety and connectivity.18:55 Discombobulated? Use internal guardrails and collaborate.21:09 Build relationships, invest in your team, and trust intuition.25:28 Supportive managers gave me opportunities, encouragement, and belief.31:39 Stay attentive to your team's subtle cues.About Amanda DownsAmanda Downs is Uspire's Director of Commercial Leadership and a commercial training and coaching expert. She has worked extensively in Europe, EMEA, the US, and Asia and is an accredited Insights Discovery practitioner. She also leads Uspire's commercial leadership proposition.She produces the popular Sales Growth Expert blog and is currently writing her first sales leadership book.Connect with Amanda:Website: theuspiregroup.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandadowns2/About The Uspire PartnershipUspire challenge, energise and upskill leaders to set the stage for business transformation and commercial success. Members of the Uspire team are all industry professionals and have first-hand experience of the commercial challenges you face. We develop leadership skills and commercial capabilities; delivering profitable growth and a sustainable legacy of change.Connect with Uspire:Website: theuspiregroup.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uspire-ltd/About Anna Moir:Let me introduce myself as Anna Moir, currently loving the last two years as Deputy Retail Director at Harrods. I am lucky as Retail has afforded me a fantastic career, where I have lead shops for most days of my 30 years in Retail. In fact having worked for House of Fraser, Selfridges, Waitrose & John Lewis, I have always fulfilled both operational roles in central functions and roles at the sharp end in shops. I would describe myself as an authentic leader and stand by this approach to achieve the best outcomes, enabling me to lead with energy, integrity & resilience during my many roles and challenges. I am also proud to feel genuine joy from leading teams, who achieve great things together. I am committed to operational excellence and thrive with cross functional working and foster great stakeholder relationships.I still enjoy the customer centricity of my roles and ensuring every decision I make has the customer needs at the forefront. Role modelling personal & organisational...

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• Ep 11: Unfreezing Potential with Shaun Smith - General Manager UK & Ireland at Birds Eye Foods

  Unlock the secrets to becoming an extraordinary sales leader with insights from Shaun Smith, General Manager at Birds Eye UK and Ireland. Hosted by Amanda Downs, we're getting into the essence of mastering sales and leadership basics, the necessity of relentless improvement, and the unrivalled value of passion and authenticity in your professional journey. Shaun shares his 20+ years of expertise, stories of significant career milestones, and his heartfelt advice on leadership, customer relations, and creating a lasting positive legacy. Here are the Highlights:05:53 Understanding business end-to-end on tight margins.11:57 Competitors and change drive innovation and adaptability.14:46 Coaches and mentors significantly influenced Shaun's leadership.18:29 Authenticity improves success in larger organisations.22:32 How Shaun's grandfather's advice influenced him.24:56 Master the basics and take true accountability.27:12 Sell passionately, work hard, lead purposefully, and inspire growth.Join us each month between September and January for the Uspire webinar series “Build Your Commercial Leadership” and get valuable leadership frameworks and techniques to help you lead your team to sustainable revenue growth. Register here https://theuspiregroup.com/uspire-events/uspire-discover-build-your-commercial-leadership/About Amanda DownsAmanda Downs is Uspire's Director of Commercial Leadership and a commercial training and coaching expert. She has worked extensively in Europe, EMEA, the US, and Asia and is an accredited Insights Discovery practitioner. She also leads Uspire's commercial leadership proposition.She produces the popular Sales Growth Expert blog and is currently writing her first sales leadership book.Connect with Amanda:Website: theuspiregroup.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandadowns2/About The Uspire PartnershipUspire challenge, energise and upskill leaders to set the stage for business transformation and commercial success. Members of the Uspire team are all industry professionals and have first-hand experience of the commercial challenges you face. We develop leadership skills and commercial capabilities; delivering profitable growth and a sustainable legacy of change.Connect with Uspire:Website: theuspiregroup.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uspire-ltd/About Shaun Smith:Shaun has over 20 years of FMCG experience having worked in numerous commercial roles on some of the UK & Ire’s most loved and recognisable brands including Waburtons, Lurpak, Cravendale, Aunt Bessies and more recently Birdseye and Goodfella’s Pizzas. Today he leads the Birdseye UK & Ire commercial business as their General Manager. He is a people-centric leader who relishes leading teams to realise their potential by working collaboratively and cross-functionally with customers to grow both for categories and brands.Produced by

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• Ep 10: Community Connection with Charly Andrews

  How can a leadership philosophy centred around kindness, integrity, and genuine care make you a pioneer? Amanda Downs sits down with Charly Andrews, a revolutionary leader who turned a stadium into a hub of community resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. From transforming locations to orchestrating unforgettable events and concerts, Charly shares her unique insights on building meaningful relationships, leading with kindness, and thriving through challenges. Tune in to discover how mastering the art of empathy and authenticity can skyrocket your success in sales and leadership.Here are the Highlights:06:26 How Charly managed sales during the pandemic.11:20 Choosing artists based on audience spending habits.15:21 Establishing permanent showgrounds for annual events.17:51 Charly's passion for making a difference through smiles.21:53 Trust and empower your team for success.23:25 Unkind leadership teaches the importance of kindness and support.27:24 Authenticity builds trust in sales and leadership.Join us each month between September and January for the Uspire webinar series “Build Your Commercial Leadership” and get valuable leadership frameworks and techniques to help you lead your team to sustainable revenue growth. Register here https://theuspiregroup.com/uspire-events/uspire-discover-build-your-commercial-leadership/About Amanda DownsAmanda Downs is Uspire's Director of Commercial Leadership and a commercial training and coaching expert. She has worked extensively in Europe, EMEA, the US, and Asia and is an accredited Insights Discovery practitioner. She also leads Uspire's commercial leadership proposition.She produces the popular Sales Growth Expert blog and is currently writing her first sales leadership book.Connect with Amanda:Website: theuspiregroup.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandadowns2/About The Uspire PartnershipUspire challenge, energise and upskill leaders to set the stage for business transformation and commercial success. Members of the Uspire team are all industry professionals and have first-hand experience of the commercial challenges you face. We develop leadership skills and commercial capabilities; delivering profitable growth and a sustainable legacy of change.Connect with Uspire:Website: theuspiregroup.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uspire-ltd/About Charly Andrews: Head of Commercial Sales at the Bath and West Showground, Charly Andrews is a passionate leader, with a strong desire to not only excel, but also inspire others to do so. Winner of the miaList Individual of the Year 2023, Charly focuses on excellent revenue results paired with the wellbeing of others, where a real passion for breaking the mental health stigma really shines through. From being called ‘too emotional’ to battling her own mental health struggles, Charly is proving that there is strength in vulnerability.Connect with Charly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlyandrews/Produced by

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• Ep 09: Harvesting New Heights with Jon Cummings

  Join us as we explore the business of vertical farming. Amanda sits down with Jon Cummings - a seasoned leader who has seamlessly navigated between retail buying and supply chain management. He brings a wealth of experience to the ever-evolving world of vertical farming. Sharing stories from his time in the meat industry, his strategic moves across major players like Kerry Foods and Morrisons, and his latest venture as the Commercial Director of Fisher Farms. Tune in to discover the secrets behind his success, as he reveals the art of cross-functional collaboration, the nuances of leading diverse teams, and the revolutionary potential of vertical farming. Here are the Highlights:05:35 How working at Asda shaped my business perspective.09:19 Kerry Foods excels in cross-functional collaboration.11:19 Managing brands vs. own label contracts differ.19:40 New job, same pattern. 20:26 Working at an innovative agri tech startup.24:11 Impostor syndrome when changing jobs.27:43 Understanding diverse skills and building complementary teams.Join us each month between September and January for the Uspire webinar series “Build Your Commercial Leadership” and get valuable leadership frameworks and techniques to help you lead your team to sustainable revenue growth. Register here https://theuspiregroup.com/uspire-events/uspire-discover-build-your-commercial-leadership/About Amanda DownsAmanda Downs is Uspire's Director of Commercial Leadership and a commercial training and coaching expert. She has worked extensively in Europe, EMEA, the US, and Asia and is an accredited Insights Discovery practitioner. She also leads Uspire's commercial leadership proposition.She produces the popular Sales Growth Expert blog and is currently writing her first sales leadership book.Connect with Amanda:Website: theuspiregroup.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandadowns2/About The Uspire PartnershipUspire challenge, energise and upskill leaders to set the stage for business transformation and commercial success. Members of the Uspire team are all industry professionals and have first-hand experience of the commercial challenges you face. We develop leadership skills and commercial capabilities; delivering profitable growth and a sustainable legacy of change.Connect with Uspire:Website: theuspiregroup.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uspire-ltd/About Jon Cummings:James joined NESI in 2022, bringing over 17 years of extensive experience in FMCG. With a background in commercial and marketing roles across retail, online, food service, and horeca channels, he has a profound understanding of consumer dynamics.Focused on consumer-centric strategies, James is dedicated to leading and developing high-performing teams. He is passionate about fostering engagement throughout the organisation to drive optimal outcomes for NESI, our customer partners, and our teams.He holds an MBA from Alliance Business School, further...

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• Ep 08: Leading the Brand Story with Sue McVie

  Uncover the secrets behind successful commercial strategies and powerful storytelling to boost your sales. Amanda chats to Sue McVie about her extensive career - from her initial field sales role at McVitie's to becoming a visionary trade marketing director at Walkers and beyond. Tune in to learn how Sue blends extroverted energy with introverted reflection, combats imposter syndrome with data, and emphasises the transformative power of storytelling in sales.Here are the Highlights:04:07 Transitioning to leadership: understanding diverse leadership styles.09:37 Learning leadership on the job through authenticity.13:19 Coping with self-doubt through data and reflection.23:52 Engaging consumers with aspirational branding.28:15 Lead with vision and provide a clear strategic framework.31:49 Empowerment and confidence stem from supportive leadership.34:46 Trained, diverse teams in effective storytelling techniques.Join us each month between September and January for the Uspire webinar series “Build Your Commercial Leadership” and get valuable leadership frameworks and techniques to help you lead your team to sustainable revenue growth. Register here https://theuspiregroup.com/uspire-events/uspire-discover-build-your-commercial-leadership/About Amanda DownsAmanda Downs is Uspire's Director of Commercial Leadership and a commercial training and coaching expert. She has worked extensively in Europe, EMEA, the US, and Asia and is an accredited Insights Discovery practitioner. She also leads Uspire's commercial leadership proposition.She produces the popular Sales Growth Expert blog and is currently writing her first sales leadership book.Connect with Amanda:Website: theuspiregroup.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandadowns2/About The Uspire PartnershipUspire challenge, energise and upskill leaders to set the stage for business transformation and commercial success. Members of the Uspire team are all industry professionals and have first-hand experience of the commercial challenges you face. We develop leadership skills and commercial capabilities; delivering profitable growth and a sustainable legacy of change.Connect with Uspire:Website: theuspiregroup.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uspire-ltd/About Sue McVie:Sue is a purpose-led growth leader with a passion for unlocking the potential in both people and ideas. She has worked in a range of commercial, marketing and general management leadership roles for leading UK businesses including United Biscuits, Coca Cola, Pepsico, Vodafone & Kerry Foods. Latterly Sue was the MD for Pilgrim’s UK branded business, leading a £250m portfolio of well-known brands including Richmond and Fridge Raiders in addition to a portfolio of SME businesses - Rollover and Oakhouse Foods. Most recently Sue has taken up the role of Group MD for The Ignite Group, a portfolio of performance marketing agencies that help clients expand their customer base to drive sales.

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