James Ski

Incredibly proud to be supporting Asana's mission to help humanity thrive by enabling the world's teams to work together effortlessly.

As companies continue to invest in improving the productivity of their workforce. Asana is leading the way in Human + AI Collaboration.

15+ years of enterprise sales experience with a constant focus on helping people, teams and companies to become more productive, successful and fulfilled in their work.

I’ve built and exited a start-up business and been part of the growth of early-stage British SaaS companies like Huddle as well as the unique environment of hypergrowth companies like Linkedin where I was a top EMEA performer and President Club Winner

I know what it takes to build teams, own territory, build pipeline and win business across multiple functions and geographies with a consultative and strategic approach. 

Over 7 years I consulted companies via Sales Confidence like Salesloft, Zoominfo, Gong, 6Sense, Demandbase, Cognism, SimilarWeb and many others build brand awareness, land sales hires at all levels and grow their revenue in the UK and EMEA. 

I’m also the author of the book “How to Build Sales Confidence” which you can check out on Amazon.

CEO and Founder

Passionate about getting strategic sales hires right because in tech, the right Enterprise Account Executive or Chief Revenue Officer doesn’t just hit target. They change the trajectory of the business.

I believe the future of the UK’s tech sector depends on the strength of its commercial talent.

I specialise in placing high-performing senior sales professionals: Enterprise Account Executives, Sales Directors, Heads of Sales, VPs of Sales and CROs. These are the people with the potential to become tomorrow’s CEOs and Founders. They are the ones who unlock growth and make a lasting commercial impact.

I'm here to support those careers, not just in securing the next role, but in building long-term paths that evolve and excite. It's a myth that great salespeople only want to sell forever. Many go on to lead teams, shape strategy and build the next generation of businesses.

As a recruiter, my role isn’t just about filling vacancies. It’s about helping companies make high-impact commercial hires and helping senior sales professionals navigate the smartest next move in their careers.

My process is built around one of the most trusted sales networks in tech, backed by:

• An unrivalled network of Enterprise Sales and VP-level talent — people I know, not just names on LinkedIn
• Commercial insight into what makes a hire succeed in high-growth, complex sales environments
• A deep understanding that sales careers need to have progression - financially or in scope - because misalignment is what makes sales hires fail
• And a belief that the 'top 10%' is often a myth, because top performance is rarely universal. A strong leader or high-performing environment can elevate an Account Executive into that top bracket, but it doesn’t always translate to the next company. Context matters.

I’m also launching Driven by Revenue, a podcast interviewing CROs who’ve led businesses through 300 percent growth and beyond, unpacking how they built their careers and delivered commercial impact.

If you’re hiring strategic sales talent or building your own commercial career, I’d love to be part of that journey.

📞 0778 971 6083 – Call or message me directly on LinkedIn.

Ursula Colman

I've been interviewing non stop this week and can say the people who claim to be the perfect match, the expert, rarely are.


The best people I meet often show humility in how they talk about their experience and achievements. They believe there is always more to learn and better results to be had.

I met someone this week who told me they had expert, in depth knowledge of the defence industry. I'm sorry to say, I switched off after that. They had one year of experience in the defence industry and had never served, yet described themselves as leading key meetings and being an industry expert.

That statement alone showed me they were not yet self aware or did not have the level of EQ needed for the role. Two things crucial in sales. 

Any recruiter will tell you that the candidate who repeatedly tells you they are the dream profile for a role rarely is.

It is definitely something to look out for next time you are interviewing.

Placing UK Revenue Leaders in Tech | Enterprise AE to CRO | Tech, SaaS & AI | Atlas-Hoxo Top 30 Global Recruitment Leader | #4 Gold League Top 100 Recruiters

I see this happen all the time. "We want a superstar enterprise new business person. We're willing to pay whatever it takes. There is meaningful equity." The offer comes, it's underwhelming. 


 - The share options are vague.
 - The package is tight.

First disappointment of the company. 

If you want the top 1%, you have to understand how important a life-changing package is for them to accept and succeed in the role.

I get to see the ROI of the right enterprise hire up close. I know people in large teams, personally bringing in over 50% of a region’s revenue and hitting 5x their annual target. 

Back what could be your best ROI hire with a serious package.

Working with top tech sales talent has made me the best recruiter I’ve ever been. 

In the last 12 months I’ve personally billed over £500k while running a small team and being the Mum I've always wanted to be (present!). That’s success to me.

A lot of how I work now is copied directly from the best salespeople I place.

Here are 5 things I’ve taken from them.

📅 1. I block out my diary religiously

🎯 2. I don't waste time in the wrong places
My first message about a role is under 300 characters and includes the key 
information. I love WhatsApp. I invest time in the right relationships and places. 

🧭 3. I know my ICP
If a role sits outside it, I recommend another recruiter.

🤝 4. I focus relentlessly on the customer
Free replacements, rebates, all the job information before we speak, whatever matters. I make it easy to say yes to wanting to work with me.

⚡ 5. I do put the hours in when I need to
This isn’t a job, it’s a career. I'm accountable. The best enterprise salespeople and leaders treat it the same way.

When I got pregnant with my first child, I felt part of a generation who could say they wanted it all and that it was acceptable...
I know I’m still one of the lucky ones though.
 
I’d known from a young age that I really did want it all.
• I wanted to be a mother
• I wanted to be in business
• I wanted a husband who would look after me
 
International Women’s Day is a good moment for me to stop and feel grateful that I even get the opportunity to try.
 
We still have a long way to go:
 - Childcare is too expensive and there isn’t enough wraparound care around core school hours. Private schools do this so well, which makes things much easier for those in higher paid roles.
 - Flexible hours are still often not flexible enough.
 - Four-day work weeks should be more accessible in sales roles.
 - Avoiding hiring women who are recently married or have had their first child is still happening and is short-sighted.
 
Grateful to be part of a generation continuing to move things forward, and grateful to the women before me who made so much of this possible.
 
#IWD #InternationalWomensDay

Calling Enterprise Sales people 👀
A company wants to hire their first £500k+ ACV seller, but doesn't know if they are ready? 
 

A tech business approached me today.
They’re happy to pay:
 • Up to £150k base
 • Strong commission on all ARR
 • Equity
 
They want someone who can land £500k+ enterprise deals 💰
 
In your experience, what must be true before that first Enterprise hire succeeds?
 
- Pipeline?
- Product maturity?
- Referenceable logos?
- Clear Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)? 
- Proof the product is enterprise ready?
- Founder-led sales at this level already working?
- Long enough runway?
 
I’ve seen Enterprise sales hires fail for so many different reasons and I’ve seen hires transform a product from Mid-Market to Enterprise ready. 
 
From your experience, what advice would you give this client?

The sun is finally out in the UK and I feel the difference immediately! ☀️ 
Does anyone else feel 10x more productive when the sun’s out? 


Slightly tempted to check holiday/flight prices mid-afternoon? Is anyone else the same?😉 

 
Seriously though, my inbox is packed and if you've messaged me over the last couple of days I'll come back to you today.

People often ask me what candidates who get the job do differently in a competitive process. Often, it’s little things.

Some recent examples I’ve seen:

• Offered to do the first interview face to face rather than video.

• Replied to the interview invite with a suggested agenda.

• Sent a follow up after every stage and replied quickly to emails from the 
client.

• Created a presentation on how they would win business in year one at second stage, even though it wasn’t asked for.

• Researched the person interviewing them, not just the company, and referenced things that mattered to them.

💡If there’s a job you really want, think about the little ways you can impress. 

What’s the best small thing you’ve seen someone do that made you want to hire them?

AI is changing headhunting and who companies perceive as the strongest talent. Yet some of the strongest people simply can't be found by AI. Here’s how to change that.

First, make sure your LinkedIn profile is visible to the public. Many aren’t. AI can’t find you if you’re not visible. (Check by going to Settings & Privacy → Visibility → Profile public visibility → ON.)

AI scans for talent using publicly available signals like:
 🔹 Speaker or panellist at an industry event
 🔹 President’s Club or Circle of Excellence with the year listed
 🔹 A CEO or CRO tagging you in a post
 🔹 Award winner or finalist for an industry award
 🔹 Clear, dated promotions
 🔹 Published articles or thought leadership
 🔹 Company shout-outs celebrating your performance
 🔹 You sharing your own success stories, backed by figures and targets

Your online presence is increasingly shaping how you’re judged as talent.

If someone like me searches for the top 5% in your space, will you even appear?

I believe we’re moving towards a world where boards could use AI to assess commercial leaders based on how they rank in their industry, using signals drawn from publicly available information.

If you're thinking about changing roles in the next 5 years, focus on your publicly available information.

This morning, my client almost rejected a multi-million pound new business hunter because they didn’t send a follow-up email after the interview. Is that Justified? 

Their view was... 

“If we don’t see you chase the internal win, why would we believe you’ll chase a client’s P&L?”

No follow-up = no fire.

There was a genuine reason the candidate didn't send the follow-up. 

When I look at the people who consistently land the biggest roles, I do see them follow up after every stage. Whether it's the CRO or CEO. 

If you are interviewing, it's a great way to stand out. 

Would you discount a candidate who didn't send a follow up for a key sales hire?

I’ve noticed a big shift in how senior sales people in the UK are evaluating job offers.
 

When looking at the data in our latest UK Sales Salary Index, one thing stands out: top performers are prioritising total value, not just base & commission pay. (Although that's still very important)
 
They’re weighing up:
 💡 The company’s long-term potential in the market
 📈 Clear progression paths and leadership opportunities
 💬 Transparent and achievable targets
 🎯 Equity or long-term incentives tied to growth
 
I'm finding the best talent wants to feel invested, not just employed.
 
Want to read the latest sales salary benchmarking data. Comment on the poll and I'll send to you!

I'm interested in latest Sales & Customer Success Salary & Commission data in the UK (CONFIDENTIAL POLL)

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

A candidate wasn’t progressed yesterday because they struggled with the interview link.


Then couldn’t troubleshoot it.

This is a senior role.

The startup has a vision of being an AI-first company internally.

They couldn’t see this person fitting that vision.

True story! 

Harsh or a fair indicator?

I think it’s a reminder of how tech-savvy many companies want their commercial talent to be now.

Exclusively hiring an Enterprise CSM for a complex SaaS platform managing global household brands such as Coca-Cola, Sony and Deloitte🌍 
£80K Base💰 | 30% bonus 🎯 | London once a fortnight


This is for someone who genuinely loves expanding large enterprise accounts, building senior stakeholder relationships and driving real commercial growth.

I’ll only reach out if it looks like a match. Almost all the roles I fill come from my existing network. I review every vote and often reach out to people later when the right fit comes up if they don’t match this one.

I've managed clients with a £500k+ ARR and would like to be considered for this Enterprise Customer Success Manager role 

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James Ski

Ursula Colman

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The Battle

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Ursula Colman

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ursula Colman's LinkedIn Performance

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