with Vinit Shah, Founder and Managing Director of the London School of Sales
Welcome to Growth Bites – your go-to series for short, sharp, and actionable insights from expert-led sessions. Each edition distils practical takeaways from leading voices in our ecosystem, helping you apply proven strategies directly to your growth journey.
In this episode, sales capability expert Vinit Shah breaks down why most founders struggle to land sales meetings in the UK and how to fix it.
Spoiler: it’s not about your slides. It’s about the thinking behind them.
Drawing on 25 years of experience and his work with founder-led tech companies expanding into the UK, Vinit helps you reframe the way you approach your sales deck, starting with what your UK buyer actually wants.
Before you build your deck, you need to understand your buyer, and the UK market has distinct dynamics that can’t be ignored.
They’re cautious, informed, and under pressure to make defensible decisions. That means your deck needs to reflect their mindset, not your default messaging.
Here’s what makes the UK buying process distinct:
📊 70% of the journey is done before they speak to sales
👥 11+ people may be involved in enterprise decisions
⏳ Sales cycles are longer, with more nurturing and friction
📣 90% of buyers expect proof before engaging
In the UK, if your message doesn’t land, you won’t hear back. You’ll just be ghosted.
Forget about the hard pitch. Your deck should act as a thinking tool that helps the buyer clarify their needs and see themselves in the story.
Too many founders rush into designing slides before they’ve nailed the strategy.
You can’t craft a compelling narrative if you’re unclear about who you’re speaking to. Your deck needs to be built on clarity.
Don’t just repeat your global growth goals.
Define what success looks like in the UK with clear targets, routes to market, and internal ownership.
Ask:
You can’t recycle your regional ICPs. Define your UK Ideal Customer Profile using three lenses:
Also consider the internal dynamics of the buying journey; you’re rarely selling to one person. Each stakeholder brings different priorities to the table.
✍️ One story, multiple versions. Tailor your message based on who’s in the room.
You’re not selling features, you’re selling outcomes. Move beyond price or product claims.
Instead, define your value wedge, the clear business and personal payoffs of choosing your solution.
Buyers may not ask for proof, but they expect it. Generic stats won’t cut it. Use:
You’re not just telling your story. You’re helping buyers imagine a better future, one that your solution enables.
✅ Think before you build
✅ Clarify before you convince
✅ Strategise before you sell
Your deck isn’t about you. It’s about:
🔹 Their world
🔹 Their challenges
🔹 Their outcomes
Translate your strengths into their language.
Make it relevant.
Make it stick.
Make it move.
👉 Let’s meet in the next episode for the sales deck structure that turns strategic clarity into compelling storytelling.
