about
An accomplished international Sales Director and Managing Director,
to work with your organisation to generate the results you seek,
as a part or full-time sales director, mentor and coach.
"Mike has great professionalism and excellent people skills, combined with a wealth of management and sales experience. He was able to share these with us to focus the efforts of individuals and teams to achieve goals and show results, helping them to take ownership and responsibility.
While working on various projects, Mike turned many peoples’ thinking upside down, with dramatic effect. Most of the people in the company with whom he worked were promoted several times during the last three years thanks to his support and influence.
I would recommend Mike Kemball as a great partner for every aspect of the business."
Silviya Andreeva
Senior Manager Human Capital Development, Vivacom
Mike Kemball
knowledge
experience
wisdom
Business Change & Transformation
An underlying theme throughout my life is change, transformation and re-invention, at the level of both the individual and organisation.
In real live situations often under considerable pressure, I have had to learn how to manage change in business and sales, while leading small and large teams of people, with the full responsibilities of a company director to deliver results on time. I have complemented the live learning with a lifelong interest in studying the psychology, technology and coaching skills required to deliver transformation effectively, including
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Business and executive coaching
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SPIN® solution selling skills, coaching and follow-on training
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Master Practitioner and Certified Trainer in Neuro Lingusitic programming (NLP)
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Master Practitioner in Time Line Therapy®
grow sales
increase profits
strengthen team
Sustained success in sales is determined by being structured, focused and systematic in your actions
Use an effective framework to enable your team to achieve the results you seek
✦ Design the sales process from start to finish
✦ Leverage the 5 sales plays
✦ Execute
The 7-step sales process
If you want to consistently deliver outstanding results,
you can't just wing it.
Only a system will deliver dependable results which
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Enable you to win, retain and grow customers, effectively and efficiently
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Improve performance, revenue, profitability and forecasting
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Provide a roadmap to better sales performance with a set of repeatable steps, with more focus, flexibility and control
And the devil is in the detail !
For your step-by-step framework for sales success ➔
With the drive for growth and focus on new business, the opportunity with your existing customers is often overlooked.
Research estimates it costs 6-10 times more in time, effort and money, to sell to new customers, compared to existing ones.
There is a sixth way to grow - ask me !
direction
focus
monitor
Background & Experience
Born in Singapore, I grew up in Africa – Angola and Mozambique. Schooled in Zimbabwe, my graduate and post-graduate education was in the UK, first Southampton University, then London Business School.
Graduating in Physiology & Biochemistry, I joined the engineering industry as a management trainee for the Hawker Siddeley Group in international sales.
Why? Because I wanted to travel, to see the world.
And learn commerce, to understand what makes the world go round.
Sales at our Spanish distributor in Barcelona were declining rapidly.
So the decision was made to second me to their operation, where the business turned around after a few months. How? By working closely with the Spanish team, resolving issues as they arose and focusing on their customers. Then the sales began to really fly.
Armed with an MBA from London Business School, I joined the Swiss pharmaceutical giant CIBA-GEIGY (now Novartis) in international sales & marketing. Given special responsibility for India working with the local management team, we turned around a difficult political situation. As Sales & Marketing Director in Norway, we refocused and revitalised sales after years of stagnation, followed by a Group Product Management role in the UK.
Looking for business development challenges, I moved to a mid-size global telecoms company, building the Middle East business from minimal sales. In less than 3 years the Middle East became the largest and most profitable region for the company, now acquired by DHL.
As junior partner and shareholder, I entered the business improvement industry in the beauty sector, training and coaching the owners of high-end hairdressing salons. The average result for clients was to double the profits and grow revenue by 50% in the first 12 months, while expanding membership from 120 to 400 salons. As a disruptor, we brought volume retailing into salons, marketing the American Paul Mitchell luxury haircare brand across Europe including Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and France.
My career as a corporate trouble-shooter started in the late 90's following the deregulation of the European telecom market.
As Managing Director of acquired businesses, I drove high growth in sales and profitability while integrating acquisitions across Europe – Switzerland, Belgium, France, Denmark, Ireland and Bulgaria – for a number of companies, including Global TeleSystems (GTS).
Assignments followed to drive sales and profitability in other sectors, including manufacturing, engineering, business intelligence, security, construction, lighting, waste and chemical treatment.
What I have discovered, is the sector is not key to transforming your business results.
What is crucial, is to:
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Agree clear objectives and outcomes
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Take a structured approach and focus your efforts
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Follow through systematically with actions, to deliver all the way through to results.
Reach for the Stars
Many things in life seem so easy, until you try them yourself.
Then comes the realisation, you need to take a different approach, and learn the techniques.
But that's not all, if you wish to do something well, there is an art.
Why sales?
My dream was to travel, discover the world, meet people, explore different experiences. Not for me, to be stuck in a factory, a laboratory, or behind a desk.
Away I went. Slowly a realisation began to dawn, I really wasn't much good at sales.
I looked at those around me, and realised they weren't any better.
Some boasted about how good they were? Their results said otherwise.
My curiosity was piqued.
Who is good at sales?
My travels took me round the world across Europe, South and North America, the Middle East and beyond. Gradually, as my eyes adjusted to the dark, I noticed a few bright lights, a few stars ⭐️
Out there, are a small number of people who are good at what they do, and fewer still who are exceptional. I made a point of getting to know those who excel.
Slowly, one by one, the stars shared with me how they worked, what they thought, what they did. They showed me the way - what to look for, what to listen to and what to read.
Following their example, I used what I learnt. At first it wasn't easy; it didn't come naturally. I kept practising.
The approach is key, to be structured, focused and systematic in how you apply yourself.
The results began to shine through. I shared what I learnt, first with colleagues, then my team, and beyond.
Many ignored me. Some stopped and listened. A few even gave feedback. It was easier for some than others, with more and more achieving stellar results.
Links
Boardroom Advisors provides experienced part time directors for scale-ups and SMEs
An international corporate advisory firm with global reach through a network of multi-disciplinary partners providing junior and mid-tier growth firms with the widest reach to cross-border financing and transactions.
Fidasa was created to enable business owners to exit and realise value from their companies, by a group of experienced entrepreneurs turned investors.
As a keen paragliding pilot, flying is symbolic of raising your game.
Author of the book 'Out of the Blue', unfold your wings and set your spirit free.
