High Magick X Systems | I see & remove blocks you don't know exist, but feel - without Zoom, phone calls or being in the same room | Change Mentor for Executives & Founders who want to live with more depth & die happy

Most of the decisions you regret weren’t “bad decisions”.

They were built on values you never defined properly.

It’s why you stay in roles, relationships and versions of you that look fine on paper but wrong in your body.

You didn't just end up there - you unknowingly decided your way into them.

Because each choice you make sits on top of values that collapse the moment people, money or pressure push back.

In The Obsidian Vault, we cut through all of it so your tough decisions feel simple to make:

We'll break down: 
- What’s really happening.
- What you’re actually loyal to and why it matters.
- What it will cost to keep things as they are.

That’s how you stop making decisions you regret and build a life you don't.

You'll see clearly, decide cleanly, and live closer to what you truly value with each choice you make.

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫
 -You’re smart, capable & deeply responsible, but privately exhausted
 -You’re dragging unfinished conversations, roles or relationships behind you
 -You’re standing in a life that looks fine on paper & wrong in your body
 -You’re value driven, but feel a constant gap between what you stand for vs what you tolerate.

More insights, healing or content won’t change that. This is the lever:

Language, structure and perspective that makes it harder to lie to yourself.

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐈 𝐚𝐦
I’ve walked parallel paths since I was 19, when I quit uni to build a 25 year career with the likes of Goldman Sachs, UBS, HSBC, Barclays and others.

I set up my first business alongside my first job, went on to build two jewellery brands, a business transformation consultancy, and a private practice working with 600+ founders and executives through High Magick.

All while navigating Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (c-PTSD)

Tough calls come with that territory, and often arrive all at once. But that wasn’t new to me.

Aged eight, I became a carer for my disabled aunt. It was violent and turbulent.

I had a front row seat to what happens when loved ones refuse to make obvious decisions, what it costs them, and me.

It taught me something most miss:

Your best decisions are made when you can be a bystander in your own life at the right moment - then move swiftly.

That’s tough for most people.

Master it, and you solve problems before they can even exist - just like I, and 600+ executives and founders have.

Through real-life (anonymised) examples from their sessions and my own life, I explain how.

When you need to stop making decisions you regret and build a life you don't, welcome.

https://theobsidianvault.substack.com/about

Sonal Bhaskaran

Richard Moore

I help consultants get clients on LinkedIn, using sales and content 🚀 Follow #RichTips for content

At some point it becomes obvious: your expertise isn’t the problem.
The real challenge is turning that expertise into consistent, high-value revenue.

Whether you lead a commercial team or run your own consultancy, gaining traction with potential clients on LinkedIn often feels harder than it should.

That’s where I come in.

I train leaders, consultants, and founders in the psychology of high-trust deal-making and sales. This helps individuals and teams move from interest to commitment without pressure or scripts.

My work blends behavioural psychology, strategic communication, and modern sales design.
More importantly, it comes from doing it:
22+ years of being a sales practitioner and $millions in converted deals.

Because theory is powerful
But you can't beat having done it too

Crucially, the help I give is for those who want to sell with nuance, credibility and long-term results.

Here’s what we focus on:
Strategic positioning: shaping how your expertise is perceived by buyers and decision-makers

Authority content: creating trust through clarity, not noise

Conversation design: turning dialogue into opportunity with structure and intent

Deal-flow mastery: applying timing, buyer psychology, and decision dynamics to close complex deals

I’ve worked with organisations from Microsoft and LinkedIn, to JP Morgan and Deloitte
Beyond this I've also coached thousands of consultants, coaches and founders

All of them have had the focus on refining how they sell and how they communicate

As a 2x LinkedIn Top Voice and LinkedIn Learning Instructor with five courses on sales and communication, studied by tens of thousands of professionals worldwide, I'm asked to work with professionals on their delivery, awareness of buyer state and the words that move a buyer to step forward. 

My communities, the LinkedIn Client Accelerator and Art of Sell, bring together over 500 members focused on mastering client acquisition and high-trust sales.

In the offline world I founded Entrepreneur Business Live, a global event series connecting business leaders to support local causes and I’ve delivered keynotes and lectures at Oxford University, Warwick Business School, University of Edinburgh, Nottingham, Pearson Business School and many more.

If you want to elevate how you or your team win clients, with more trust, depth, and commercial precision, this is where we start.

DM me here on LinkedIn
Or email directly richard@therichardmoore.com
Or check out the featured links on this profile for more

Follow #RichTips for insights on high-trust deal-making and sales

Founder - LinkedIn Client Accelerator

In 2003, I was making 100 calls a day
In 2026, I'm teaching AoS members to close on the first call

Back when I was making 100 calls a day,

I became obsessed with understanding why people said yes or no. What was actually going on in their head when they made a decision?

(Standing at your desk all day with your phone in your hand, dialling numbers and getting hung up on constantly, will do that to you)

And sure, times are different now

- But buyers haven't changed
- The psychology hasn't changed
- Only the platforms have

In the 22+ years of watching people buy,
here's what I know:

They don't buy because of your offer, 
your price or 
even your expertise

They buy when uncertainty drops low enough for them to feel safe saying yes

That's the whole game.

Sony. Deloitte. Microsoft. LinkedIn. BP. Notion. S&P Capital IQ. Vodafone. IATA. JP Morgan. Thales. GSK. Siemens. BAE Systems. Audible...

The list of deals goes on. 
But the truth is the same:

↳ Uncertainty about you = they stall
↳ Uncertainty about the outcome = they ask for a proposal
↳ Uncertainty about themselves = the infamous "let me think about it"

And most of what's taught out there treats these 3 as the same problem,
but each one needs a completely different response

So here's some clarity for you

If they're uncertain about you:
↳ That's a positioning and authority issue
↳ No amount of explaining your offer will fix it
↳ You fix it before the call even starts

If they're uncertain about the outcome:
↳ That's a clarity issue
↳ You're overcomplicating what happens after they say yes.
↳ Simplify the path

If they're uncertain about themselves:
↳ That's the one most people miss entirely
↳ That's the buyer asking "am I the kind of person who invests in this?"
↳ And you can't logic your way through that. You have to make them feel like they belong in the room

The only psychology in sales that works is:

↳ reducing uncertainty
↳ increasing safety and
↳ helping someone think clearly enough to make a decision they already want to make.

That's what I learnt standing at that desk in 2003
And it's what I'm still teaching now

What's the uncertainty your buyers struggle with most?

--
I train founders, consultants and coaches in the psychology of high-trust deal-making and sales. 
Have a look in my featured links here for more → Richard Moore

#RichTips

I train founders in the psychology of high-trust deal-making and sales | Creator, Art of Sell | 3× LinkedIn Top Voice | 5 x LinkedIn Learning Instructor

These two people are incredible. 

And I want to share why. 

Yesterday in London we had the second part of our Position to Convert event. 

This is an immersion that founders joined to understand deeply strategy, brand and conversion. 

And in covering those three topics there's no way I could have done it on my own. 

To have Sara Marshall, with her background in strategy and Aarti Parmar, with hers covering brand, it teed up the day for an incredible event. 

Because enthusiasts can chat about those topics 
↳ But when you bring lived experience 
↳ Case studies
↳ Examples with detail that you did yourself 
↳ and answers to the questions that start "Yes but what about if..." 

It provides a level of depth that made me proud to be part of it. 

Huge thanks to the attendees who came along, too. You were all fantastic and the interaction was a truly wonderful moment to experience.

While it was incredible to see Sara and Aarti delivering their art, it was also an event only made possible by the work, interaction, and sharing of those who attended. 

Thanks also to Art'Otel for providing a beautiful location, view (and catering). 

I'm genuinely excited to see the journeys of the attendees in the weeks and months ahead. 

What's been the most notable event you've attended recently? 

--
PS it is a seriously small world. It was quite amazing to see how many people knew each other or were connected only by one person to someone else. 
Just shows how connected we really are if we spend any time networking on platforms like LinkedIn!

#RichTips

This is not an advert
But it is a masterclass in how to build a connection.

I run. 
A lot. 
I run like some of you comment on LinkedIn🤭
Yeah. That's a lot!

So I use electrolyte salts to rehydrate.
Henry Porpora's company SULT™ sells them. 
I was using a competitor.

A month ago, Henry connected
Just another day and another founder

But here's what I did and you should consider the same:

↳ Before accepting, I checked his profile 
Always do this as a new connection is a new opportunity (doing nothing is a waste of the moment)

↳ I looked for commonality 
Commonality is a reason to start a conversation and be memorable

↳ I found it
And so I used it (see second image)

Suddenly, I'm not just another connection 
And neither is he

We both saw the opportunity 
And Henry jumped in too

This is what creating opportunities looks like

While everyone else is just collecting connections
And thinking the more they have the better it is

I'm much more interested in going deep with individuals

"Ha! What's the play?" I responded after his reply

"How about this" he wrote...
"I'll send you some on me. If you prefer us you throw the other ones in the bin. If not, give Sult to a friend. Everyone's winning"

"Deal", I said. 

Now look, this is hardly the deal of the century.
But look at this new relationship compared to many you see on LinkedIn. 

All because I bothered to check a profile
And who knows where this goes next

One thing is for sure: it's not a forgettable connection now.

PS I really liked Sult too. Thanks Henry.
Hydration tastes far better now!

Who have you had a meaningful connection with here?
(Only AI won't tag anyone in the comments👀)

--
📌On Thursday this week I'm running "The DM Playbook" session live in Art of Sell. 
Join today for a free 7 day trial using the "Visit my Website" link at the top of this post 👆

#RichTips

Richard Moore with water splashing his face

"Build it and they will come" is not good advice
(and the reason really is obvious):

It is the king of bad advice because it's both
- Passive
- Entitled 

So you worked hard
So you made a great offer
So you think people will like it

That doesn't mean they'll buy

Does it make you cry baby sad tears because "it's not fair"?

Welcome to business, friend
Where you EARN your results.

Entitlement is poison

So, instead of waiting we need to do 4 things:

1. Before it's built, go tell people
↳ Warm the audience - work with them to ideate

2. When you're building go tell people
↳ Share the climb. They'll find it fascinating to watch

3. When it's built, go tell people
↳ Showtime! Go harvest those that supported you

4. When people have bought it, go tell people
↳ You're not done yet! Leverage the buyers to get more

See the common theme?

Proactivity. 

So instead of "build it and they will come"
its
"Build it, tell people, nurture them, present an offer, add more touch points, present another offer and even when they come, make sure you actually take the order"

Which of the four could you do more of?

--
📌Pro tip: When do you actually start selling? 
At stage #1
You can't beat "pre sales" with an incentive to join you early
Because getting paid while you're building is way better than after.
➡️DM me and ask how I did it.

#RichTips

Richard Moore hosting his Entrepreneur Business Live London charity networking event

This Sunday is International Women’s Day.

So on Monday the pink logos will disappear,
The corporate posts will stop,
The press releases will end,
The hashtags will go quiet,
And the moment of public support will pass for another year.

But the real test of how we value the women around us is not what we say on one day in March.

It is what we do the other 364 days:
↳ Do we listen to their ideas?
↳ Do we give credit where it is due?
↳ Do we invite their perspective when decisions are being made?
↳ Do we create space for them to lead, challenge and influence?
↳ Do we actually learn from them?

Because if the only visible support appears when the marketing calendar tells us it is time, then it is not support.

It is performative theatre.

The women I have learned the most from did not need a themed day for their impact to be obvious.

They shaped how I think
They challenged how I work
They improved how I lead
That influence happens across the whole year

So by all means acknowledge International Women’s Day this weekend.

But the real signal is what you do on Monday...
And Tuesday
And every other working day that follows

💕
Shout out to my icon of a mother who made me me
To my two sisters of whom I'm so proud
To my incredible wife who leads and brings me balance
To my two daughters for whom I hope the world will be their playground
And to all the women in my world, on my team, in my communities and in my education
Please continue to mold and shape me

--
PS Which woman can you shout out in the comments that made a difference to you already this year? See my comment for some great examples

#RichTips #IWD2026

I spent some time considering if I should post this today. 

Because for some people this will seem incredibly arrogant. 

But I do believe it's worth sharing because the point I'm making, I mean genuinely. 

And the fact is I'm not:
↳ Special
↳ Different
↳ Better than anyone else

Because, just like everyone else, I also started at zero. 

But there's something to be said for being incredibly intentional
And marrying that with consistency across years 

So to all the corner-cutters, hackers and "yes, but could I do it faster people?":

You tend to get what you deserve.
So if you show up in a particular way, you see the results that relate to the work you put in*

I'm interested: What are you doing to be intentional every day? 

--
PS: tomorrow in The Art of Sell I'm going to be going through the four pillars of charisma, looking at it from a science and psychology perspective so you can also tap into this super power for your pitching. 
Join us via a free trial here: www.artofsell.co

*Yes of course there are exceptions and I'm conscious of these as I write this.  

#RichTips

I've worked with 100s of founders. The ones who close effortlessly have one thing in common:

They stopped trying to figure out sales on their own.

Look, most of the founders I work with are not beginners

↳ They ran teams of 30+
↳ held senior roles for a decade
↳ and then left corporate to do something for themselves

And they're good at what they do

But selling your own thing is a completely different skill to selling inside a company

In corporate:

- The brand sold for you
- The pipeline existed before you walked in
- There were SDRs, marketing teams, decks and case studies doing the heavy lifting

Now it's just you

And the instinct for most is: "I should be able to figure this out. I've done harder things"

So you grind alone
↳ For months
↳ Sometimes years

Reading books, watching videos, trying to piece it together from free content

And the pipeline stays inconsistent

because you have dressed up your pride as independence and it's expensive.

The AoS member who went from $2k deals to closing a $66k deal in December didn't get there by watching more YouTube

-He got there by being in a room with people who'd done it before
And letting them show him what he couldn't see on his own

That's the pattern I see over and over again

↳ The ones who move fastest aren't the smartest or the most experienced
↳ They're the ones who were honest enough to say:
↳ "I'm good at what I do. But I need to get better at selling it"

There's nothing weak about that

It's actually the most strategic decision you can make for your business

Take a moment to truly absorb that

PS Art of Sell was recently recognised by Circle as one of its top 50 communities out of over 13,000

And it's built for exactly this:

↳ Founders who know their craft
↳ But want to close with more confidence and consistency

If you've been grinding alone, try it

Have a week trial on me for free here: www.artofsell.co

--
PPS AoS sessions are 60 minutes, punchy and built around doing the work. No 3-hour monologues. We get on with it.💪

#RichTips

Richard Moore hosting his Entrepreneur Business Live London charity networking event.

Stop "being yourself" on sales calls

I mean it

Because for most founders, "being yourself" on a call means:
↳ Softening your offer so you don't come across as salesy
↳ Rushing through the price so the 'awkward bit' is over faster
↳ Making the whole thing sound smaller than it is so they don't think you're trying to squeeze money out of them

Then they say a polite "thank you" and hop off the call
Never to return

And you tell yourself they weren't ready

But here's what actually happened:

You made yourself small
And the buyer treated your offer accordingly

Now here's the part nobody talks about:

That call doesn't just cost you one deal
It costs you the next 5

Because every time you shrink on a call and lose
↳ The icky feeling gets louder
↳ You start tensing up before the call even begins
↳ You're already apologising for the price in your head before you've said a word

And the buyer feels all of it

I went through this for a period when I left corporate.

I'd been closing 6-figure deals with a brand and a business behind me. Then suddenly asking a founder for a few thousand felt like pulling teeth

The problem wasn't my delivery

I'd stopped seeing myself as the prize

In corporate,
↳ I never questioned whether the offer was worth it
↳ I walked in knowing
↳ And that energy carried the whole call

The moment I went solo, I lost that certainty

And I started "being myself" which really meant being the uncertain version of myself.

So what fixed it?

I had to reposition how I saw my own offer before I could present it with any weight

↳ I stopped comparing my price to what felt comfortable
↳ I started comparing it to the cost of the buyer's problem going unsolved
↳ And I reminded myself that every founder I'd helped had got results that far exceeded what they'd paid

That changed how I carried myself on calls
And the buyers felt the difference immediately

Are you being yourself on calls?
Or are you being the uncertain version of yourself?

--
PS A good number of AoS members joined while stuck in this exact cycle. Underpricing, apologising for their offer, losing deals they should've closed.

Inside AoS we work on how you carry your offer, because that matters as much as what's in it

If you want to see what that looks like, try it free for a week here: https://lnkd.in/eHw5fitm

#RichTips

Richard Moore speaking on the Don't Work Harder podcast.

You can’t scale your leadership without scaling trust.

At small scale, people know you. They see you. They understand how you think.

But at a larger scale, that can all disappear.

At that level, people start to interpret you from a distance:
- Through your decisions
- Through your communication
- Through your consistency

And if trust isn’t there, all your results can start to slow down

This Friday I’ll be live with Simone Schiassi, a former Google Global Director, to talk about how trust is actually built and maintained as you grow into more senior leadership roles.

We’ll be sharing practical experiences from inside complex organisations and answering your questions live.

Friday 27 February
UK: 2pm to 3pm
ET: 9am to 10am

If you lead a team, or plan to, join us live.
And let us know below: what questions do you have for the live stream?

--

#RichTips

Marco Zima Simonella, Jeff Abracen and 1 other connection attending

Follow-ups can kill your positioning
So much so that they're probably in the top 5 things I get asked about

And it makes sense too, since c.90% of all deals that do close required some form of a follow up.

This week, I'm dissecting why they matter so much and where to get them right. 

After all, how you follow up sends signals to buyers on your status in the dynamic between both parties.

And wow - we're now over 19,000 subscribers to this newsletter. 
Thank you so much for all the support and wonderful interactions. I hope you enjoy this week's edition. 

Richard

--
PS a free gift for you all at the bottom of this week's article

#RichTips

Why most sales follow-ups quietly weaken the seller’s authority and stall the deal Salespeople are taught that persistence wins deals. The advice appe

Open article: #12: Stop Sending Follow-Ups That Lower Your Status by Richard Moore • 9 min read

#12: Stop Sending Follow-Ups That Lower Your Status

Wow - almost 18.5k of you are subscribed to this newsletter now.
Thank you.

This week, one news story stood out on LinkedIn News 

Standing far above other stories in volume of readers was the recent data showing 5.2% unemployment in the UK. 

And, while this has an effect on employers and employees alike. Beyond all the job market commentary, I believe this represents a shift in the market that affects buyer behaviour too. 

Thank you as always for reading these each week. I really enjoy producing them.

Looking at the analytics, it's wonderful to see that thousands of you tune in within the first 24 hours to read. 

And to those that share their opinions in the comments and in my DMs, thank you. I always welcome the dialogue.

Have a fantastic end to your week,
Richard

--
PS a free gift for any founders / those of you in sales at the bottom of this week's newsletter :)

#RichTips #newsletter #jobs

Weak economies do not punish everyone equally. But they do expose previously hidden differences. UK unemployment has risen to 5.2%, the highest level 

Open article: #10: The End of Average Salespeople by Richard Moore • 7 min read

Often, B2B deals don’t stall because the buyer lost interest.

There's much more going on here. 

They stall because there's a misalignment with the organisation.

You have a great call. They see the value. They agree. Then the deal disappears into “I need to run this internally.”

What’s happening is simple. You spoke to a person, but the decision lives inside a system.

In this week’s newsletter, I break down what I call Stakeholder Physics. 

I also examine the four main roles present in most decisions, and how to manage alignment so deals actually move.

Thank you to the 18.5k subscribers reading these each week. It is all my pleasure to produce them. 

As always, do consider sharing, saving and adding your opinion or reaction in the comments. 

--
Coming soon is an article on agentic AI in selling, with some very special guests contributing! Make sure you're subscribed.

#RichTips

Why individual buy-in creates momentum but group alignment determines whether a deal actually closes. There is a moment in sales that can create false

Open article: #11: Stakeholder Physics: Why Deals Stall Even When Individuals Agree by Richard Moore • 8 min read

#11: Stakeholder Physics: Why Deals Stall Even When Individuals Agree

taplio

The Battle

Sonal Bhaskaran

Richard Moore

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreRichard Moore's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Sonal Bhaskaran

Richard Moore

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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);}Richard Moore's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreRichard Moore's LinkedIn Performance