The Art of Sales

Kerry Gibson has spent over 12 years in new business, working at some of the world's most well-known agencies. In this episode, she sits down with Adam to talk about what it actually takes to win and why focus is the ingredient most agencies consistently underestimate. From a landmark Sainsbury's pitch won on the chemistry of an existing team, to the realisation that a new business director's real...

In this episode of The Art of Sales, Adam Graham speaks to Dan Englander, founder of Sales Schema and host of the Digital Agency Growth Podcast, about how outbound has changed and why agencies need to rethink the way they build relationships. Dan shares how his business moved from doing lead generation for agencies to helping them build and own their outreach function in-house. The conversation ex...

Most businesses choose a CRM before they understand their sales process. That, according to Mitch Richards, Chief of Staff at Future Group Agency, is where it all goes wrong. In this episode of The Art of Sales, Mitch breaks down what it actually takes to build a revenue operation that works, from mapping your full customer journey using the Bow Tie Funnel methodology, to configuring a pipeline yo...

In this episode of The Art of Sales, Adam is joined by Janita Lakhanpal, Business Development Director at Ketchum UK, to explore the real power behind great sales conversations. Janita shares how her first new business win started with one brave conversation at a trade show, and how her approach has evolved from trying to impress to creating genuine mutual value. They discuss the courage to ask di...

In this episode of The Art of Sales, Adam is joined by Catherine Allison to unpack why most pitches are won or lost long before the creative idea is judged. Drawing on the What Clients Think survey, Catherine explains why 71 percent of pitches fail due to softer factors like chemistry, confidence and how teams show up in the room. They explore the fine line between confidence and arrogance, why ag...

In this episode, Chris Muldoon shares the story behind Punch, the sales and entertainment agency he co-founded after an early entrepreneurial stint in music. He explains how Punch evolved from a sports and entertainment agency into B2B lead generation and sales development, overcoming the challenges of commission-based models by adopting more scalable approaches. Chris reflects on key milestones,...

In this episode of The Art of Sales , Adam Graham sits down with Eniko Tarkany-Szucs, who leads strategic partnerships at LinkedIn, to explore what selling looks like when trust comes before targets. Eniko shares her career journey from early social media roles into SaaS, sales leadership and partnerships, reflecting on how her approach has softened over time as relationships became the real long...

In this short end-of-year solo episode of The Art of Sales , Adam reflects on what 2025 really felt like for agencies and founders. Not the highlight reel, but the realities beneath the surface. He touches on familiar themes from the year: longer sales cycles, tighter budgets, plenty of ghosting, and why being busy didn’t always feel secure. Adam also shares a few thoughts on how AI moved from nov...

This episode of The Art of Sales takes us inside the global rebranding of Jose Cuervo - Adam Graham speaks with Hanisha Kotecha, former Client Chief Officer at Creature London and Aileen Cotter from Proximo Spirits. This conversation explores how the world’s number one tequila set out to shift long-held perceptions and show the spirit’s true versatility. Aileen shares the realities of leading a gl...

In this episode of The Art of Sales, Adam talks with Laura Tannenbaum, CEO of Fabric Social and co-founder of That Lot, the social agency that redefined how brands show up online. Laura shares her journey from journalism to agency life, from local newspapers in Cambridge to building one of the UK’s most culturally tuned-in creative agencies. She reflects on the early days of That Lot, the power of...

In this episode of The Art of Sales, Adam sits down with Matthew Isales, founder of Isales Solutions, to explore how structure and systems can transform the way small businesses sell. From earning $4 an hour in a Dominican Republic call centre to running a global sales consultancy, Matthew shares his journey into the world of CRMs, automation, and scalable sales processes. They unpack why most CRM...

When Smarty Mobile set out to find a new creative partner, they weren’t just looking for great ideas, they were looking for a true collaborator. In this episode of The Art of Sales, Adam speaks with Jamie Elliott, CEO of The Gate, and Sayed Hajamaideen, Head of Brand and Marketing Communications at Smarty Mobile, about the pitch that led to the award-winning “Less Malarkey, More Smarty” campaign....

Adam Graham sits down with Marcus Elliott Brown, founder of The Great Pitch Company, to explore what really makes a pitch unforgettable. Marcus shares how his background in theatre, sales, and advertising shaped his approach to helping agencies win work, not through tricks or templates, but through authentic human storytelling. They unpack the anatomy of a great pitch, from qualification and prepa...

In this episode, Chris Kemp reflects on his 20-year journey in business development and the founding of Ingenuity, the agency–brand connector he launched at just 25. He shares how early challenges shaped the company’s growth and how strategic acquisitions helped diversify and strengthen its offer. Chris explores the evolution of pitching culture, highlighting the enduring role of creativity, perso...

What does it take to run marketing procurement for one of the world’s biggest brands? In this episode, Rachel Wentzel , former Director of Global Marketing Procurement at Adidas , joins us to unpack how the brand balances creativity, efficiency, and collaboration on a global scale. Rachel shares how Adidas has evolved under CEO Bjørn Gulden’s leadership, why in-house production has grown so rapidl...

This episode of The Art of Sales features Tom Nation from Sandler, whose career began in hospitality before moving into sales. The conversation highlights how soft skills such as listening, building rapport and reading people remain essential in today’s sales environment. Tom discusses the outdated stereotypes that still damage the image of sales and explains why it should be treated as a professi...

In this episode, agency experts Oli Richards and Ellie Ring unpack what it really takes to win new business in today’s oversupplied, competitive market. They explore how creative and media demands have shifted towards short-term, project-based work, and why agencies need to build distinctive brands and stronger client relationships to cut through. The conversation highlights the importance of rigo...

The Art of Sales