From Cold Calling to
Closing Through Connection.
I spent my early career knocking on doors in the freezing rain. It taught me resilience, but more importantly, it taught me that there had to be a better way to build a business.
The Hard Way First
With nearly 40 years in sales, I've seen every tactic, script, and strategy come and go. My journey started on industrial estates across the East Midlands—cold, wet mornings filled with constant knockbacks.
It was brutal, but it forced me to understand human psychology. You learn very quickly how to read a room (or a reception area) when your livelihood depends on it.
The Turning Point
When I transitioned into networking, I made the same mistake everyone makes: I treated networking events like sales meetings. I pitched, I pushed, and I wondered why nothing was converting.
It took years to realise that networking is about planting seeds, not harvesting them immediately. Once I shifted my focus from "what can I sell?" to "how can I connect?", everything changed.
Practicing What I Preach
I don't just teach networking; I do it every day. As the Sales and Marketing Director at Print Co in Nottingham, I use these exact strategies to drive real business growth. No theory, just proven methods that work in the real world.