Ben Watkins

Intrinsic Executive Search

Co-founded Intrinsic in 2006, to support B2B SaaS and tech firms by finding them new senior leaders and Senior Sales executives who drive growth. 

→ Assisting Hiring Managers in sourcing exceptional commercial talent, particularly in regions where they may have a limited network or need confidential replacements. 

→ Providing high-quality candidate shortlists within 3-4 weeks

→ Supporting clients who have tried advertising or contingency searches without success.

→ Closed more than 1,000 placements across 10+ European countries with a network of over 30,000 tech executives, in regions like the UKI, Germany/DACH, Nordics, Benelux, Spain and France.

→ Become a go-to headhunting partner for startups, scale-ups, turnaround, and corporates.

→ Expertise covers B2B software areas from Customer Experience, Business Analytics, Big Data, Compliance, ESG, Retail/CPG Software to Market Research, Open Source, Fraud/AML, and more.

SaaS Executive Recruiter

Salt - Previously Enigma Resources International

Hired to sell retained searches across new territories like Germany, France and  Benelux. 

→ Sourced and placed VP and Senior level Executives for B2B Tech firms.

→ Clients including FAST (Microsoft), Spotfire TIBCO, Human Inference, Lycos Europe, MicroStrategy, Watchfire, Vitria, Truition, FICO & Skype.

→ Grew revenue in mainland Europe from zero to 1 Million Euro +

Executive Recruiter Europe

eBay

FairMarket, Boston (NASDAQ - FAIM) Selling B2B and B2B2C, SaaS based Pricing Software into Travel, Telco, High-Tech and Manufacturing market spaces.   Acquired by eBay in 2003.

→ New Logos included: Mitel Networks, De Vere Hotels and Starwood Group Inc.

Senior Sales Executive

HALL KINION & ASSOCIATES INC

(NASDAQ - HAKI) Senior Recruiter, UK / Germany, France, Benelux, Nordics

→ Hall Kinion were one of the largest High-Tech Recruitment companies with 56 offices worldwide and a turnover of approximately $400 million.

→ Qualified for 3 x Club Trips, Won the Largest Company Deal and Top Recruiter in Europe Awards

→ Customers included: BroadVision, ATG, Commerceone, Ariba, Zygon, Interwoven, OpenMarket, JCP, Intershop, Misys

Headhunter, Enterprise Software

SaaS Recruiter / Helping SaaS firms hire senior talent from a network of 30k+ SaaS Execs

Are you struggling to hire great SaaS talent in Europe? Let’s change that.
► UK - Germany - Nordics - Benelux - France.
► A-Players from £90k to £250k base salaries.   
► CEO, CRO, COO, VP Sales, Director, Senior Sales, Marketing, Customer Success.
► Retained Executive Search.

FOR JOB SEEKERS:

► Receive CV feedback and a high-quality CV and LinkedIn Profile.  
► Check out my offers >>> bit.ly/executivesupport

SaaS Sales Executive Recruitment business.

We help SaaS firms attract and hire the Best Senior Commercial Talent into their businesses!  

UKI, DACH, NORDICS, BENELUX, FRANCE, USA

Intrinsic is a leading Global Boutique Enterprise Software Headhunting company which helps scale emerging High Growth Software / SaaS firms.

We cover Software areas such as Customer Experience, Voice of the Customer, Business Analytics, Big Data, Retail / CPG Software, Market Research, Surveys, Procurement, Open source, Fraud/AML, Integration, Trade & Risk Management, Content Management, Business Process Management and eCommerce market places

Performative Speaking

~ Adept Account Executive in venture-backed founder communication, excelling in inbound calls, lead generation, and managing a $240K (AED 881,496) pipeline. 
~ Strategically engages decision makers, driving efficient sales cycles, ensuring effective 
closures, and managing paperwork. 
~ Facilitates strategic networking, sharing top investor and venture partner contacts for 
expanded funding networks. 
~ Pivotal in refining sales processes and training materials, enhancing team effectiveness 
and enabling successful onboarding. Demonstrates expertise in navigating challenges with
venture-backed founders, showcasing adaptability and a results-driven approach. 
~ Actively contributes to company-wide initiatives, supporting leadership in refining sales 
strategies and training programs. 
~ Utilizes comprehensive product education for successful outcomes with venture-backed 
founders.
~ Drives the entire sales cycle, from inbound calls to closing deals and providing post-sale 
support. 
~ Collaborates on prospects queries, understanding requirements, and sharing reports & 
proposals.
~ Achieved 5% increase in sales by creating a lead management funnel & process - follow-ups & support.
~ Highly adaptable & flexible in working with different geographical teams

Account Executive

Driven sales professional committed to continuous improvement and staying ahead in a dynamic market. Proactively pursued upskilling initiatives to elevate sales proficiency and successfully navigate the US market.

~ Advanced Training Impact: Completed targeted courses in advanced sales techniques, resulting in a 20% increase in successful prospect conversions and a 15% growth in sales revenue.

~ Mentorship Program Success: Applied knowledge gained from a mentorship program to secure and close high-value deals, contributing to a 25% boost in quarterly sales performance.

~ Online Branding Mastery: Established a compelling online presence through strategic content on Facebook and LinkedIn, garnering 30% more inbound inquiries and expanding professional network by 40%.

~ Strategic Networking: Initiated networking calls with sales reps, uncovering key pain points and needs. Instrumental in forging collaborative partnerships that led to a 10% increase in shared business opportunities.

~ Supportive Collaboration: Provided targeted support to fellow sales professionals, resulting in a 15% improvement in overall team productivity and a collaborative environment conducive to exceeding sales targets.

Professional Development and Sales Enhancement

Spectacular Academy

Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America.
Top Social Media Marketing Agency in Miami.

•	Acted as the first point of contact and set appointments for prospective clients.
•	Collected and distributed messages to team members and managers to support open communication and high customer service.
•	Collected $2,364 payments from clients and updated account balances.
•	Addressed client inquiries and updated database information.
•	Handled complaints and questions, and re-directed calls to other team members.
•	Established and maintained client rapport by utilizing quality customer service.
•	Received inbound calls and initiated outbound daily calls to introduce customers to products and services offered.
•	Routed incoming mail and messages to relevant personnel without delay.
•	Made 40-60 phone calls daily to establish first contact with potential customers and set meetings with the internal sales team.
•	Answered phone calls and answered questions from potential customers.

Inbound SDR

Confidential

Building relationships with HNWI, pension fund companies, entrepreneurs, and hedge fund companies. Partnering for potential collaborations and buying & selling of Commercial Real Estate.

~ Assist buyers and sellers in purchasing real estate property for the best price and terms.
~ Estimate property value through skilled comparative market analysis.
~ Develop business networks and collaborate with contractors, mortgage lenders, and attorneys.
~ Develop expert knowledge regarding real estate best practices, market standards, mortgage financing, 
    neighborhoods, schools, and all buying and selling considerations.

Sales Development Representative

I help Middle-East companies with sales | Workspace Culture | Sales Leadership

🌟 About Me 🌟

🏙️ A Real Estate Voyager 🏙️

With a career that has taken me from the vibrant real estate markets of Dubai to the bustling streets of London, I've spent the last few years carving my path through the dynamic world of Commercial Real Estate. These experiences have been my masterclass in business acumen and the fine art of sales. From prospecting to closing, I've honed my skills in navigating this intricate landscape. It's not just about properties; it's about people, relationships, and the thrill of sealing the deal.

💼 Bridging Worlds: Real Estate to Digital Marketing 💼

But life's adventures don't end with real estate. I've also ventured into the realm of Digital Marketing Agencies and Fundraising Industries, where I've mastered the art of turning prospects into prospective clients. Dealing with a wide range of product deal sizes, from the modest $2K to the substantial $120K, has only fueled my passion for high-ticket sales. And let's not forget, this journey has been my ticket to the world of startups, where the entrepreneurial spirit is at its zenith.

📊 Account Management 📊

In every step of my career, be it in Real Estate or Digital Marketing, I've always found a way to bring my account management skills to the forefront. The key to success in these roles is not just selling; it's ensuring that clients are nurtured, heard, and satisfied. It's about being a trusted partner on their journey to success.

🚀 Eager for Growth 🚀

If there's one thing that defines me, it's my insatiable hunger for growth. I'm a learner, an adapter, and a go-getter who's always willing to go the extra mile for my team. Challenges excite me, and I thrive on the ever-evolving nature of the business world. We're all works in progress, and I'm excited to see where this incredible journey will take me next.

🗺️ Let's Connect and Elevate 🗺️

Fluent in both written and oral communication (English) and proficient in CRM software, specifically HubSpot, I'm equipped to navigate the intricacies of modern business. With two years of remote work experience under my belt, I'm open to exploring new horizons and relocating to Dubai, where my journey first began.

I'm excited to dive into sales roles in edtech, health tech, and fintech industries, I'm eager to collaborate with promising ventures in these fields.

Nandini Rastogi

A year ago, I’d spend hours tweaking bids, rewriting ad copies, and second-guessing every little detail.

Hoping to find that “perfect” combination.

Now, AI quietly does half of it for me. And honestly?

It still surprises me how much it gets right.

ChatGPT sparks new ad ideas when my brain’s running on low.

Google Ads scripts catch things I used to miss at 1 a.m.

And dynamic ad copy speaks to people in ways that feel personal, not robotic.

But here’s what I’ve learned, AI hasn’t replaced creativity, it has amplified it.

It gives us the space to think bigger, tell better stories, and connect deeper.

The future of marketing isn’t human vs AI, it’s human with AI.

How are you using AI to make your campaigns smarter (and your life easier)?

#digitalmarketing #paidmarketing #aiinmarketing #chatgpt

Founder | Paid Media & Growth Strategist | Market Intelligence Advisor @ Seed VC Fund | Helping Founders Scale Smarter 🚀

It Started With a Meme. It Ended With an Order ;)

One evening, while scrolling through Instagram, I saw Zomato post,

“Guys, don’t fight in the comments. Order biryani instead.”

And within minutes, the comment section was full of people tagging friends, laughing, and… actually ordering food.

That’s when it hit me, Zomato and Swiggy aren’t just food delivery apps.
 
They’re mood delivery brands.

Their secret? They don’t wait for trends. They become them.
 
When something happens, a cricket match, a meme, a viral tweet, they jump in with wit, simplicity, and timing that feels effortless.

They talk like us.

They sound like your funny friend who always has the perfect one-liner ready.

It’s not about big budgets or fancy visuals, it’s about understanding culture in motion.

That’s real-time marketing.

It’s about being present, human, and quick enough to make people smile before the moment passes.

And in that, Zomato and Swiggy remind every marketer of one simple truth:

Relevance beats perfection, every single time.

#zomato #swiggy #realtimemarketing #digitalmarketing #brandstrategy #contentmarketing

A founder once told me...

“We get tons of clicks… but no one’s actually buying.”

It wasn’t that the ads were bad.

The creatives were catchy, targeting was tight, and the traffic numbers looked great on paper.

But when I asked, “What happens after someone clicks?”, there was silence.

That’s where most brands lose people in the gap between awareness and conversion.

They spend on reach but not on the experience that turns attention into trust.

No follow-up. No clear story. No consistent message.

You don’t lose customers because they’re not interested.
 
You lose them because you don’t show up enough times for them to remember you.

The truth is:

 1. Ad performance is only as good as the system it leads into.
 2. Awareness without a next step is just noise.

If you’re running ads, map your funnel like this:

Awareness → Interest → Action → Retention

and ask: “Where are we leaking attention?”

Sometimes, fixing that one gap brings more ROI than doubling your budget.

What’s one thing you’ve seen brands overlook between “click” and “conversion”? 👇

#growth #digitalmarketing #conversion #funnelgap

The other day, I was browsing a product online.

Slick ads. Perfect models. Polished shots.

All the things brands spend money on.

But guess what made me click “Add to Cart”?

A random girl’s review video saying...

“Okay guys, this actually worked for me.”

Not perfect lighting.

Not scripted lines.

Just real experience.

That’s the thing about UGC.

People trust people.

Not brands talking about themselves.

As marketers, we often look for the “perfect” creative.

But the most persuasive content is usually the most imperfect one because it feels like a friend recommending it.

If your customers love you, let them talk.

They’ll sell better than any ad you make.

LinkedIn Login, Sign in | LinkedIn

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Talks about #sales, #prospecting, #communication, #businessacumen, and #personaldevelopment

Most founders treat marketing like an expense.

But in VC, we’re trained to treat capital like oxygen and you don’t waste oxygen.

Last week, while reviewing a startup’s pitch deck, something clicked for me..

The way VCs evaluate investments is the same way brands should evaluate marketing.

Here’s what I mean:

1. “Show me the fundamentals.”

VCs don’t invest because something looks exciting.
They invest because the core metrics make sense.
Marketing should be the same.
Fix the funnel → then scale.

2. “Prove there’s compounding value.”

VCs look for returns that grow over time.
In marketing, that’s your retention, your repeat purchases, your referrals.
Not just CPMs.

3. “Deploy capital intentionally.”
 
VCs don’t throw money everywhere.
They fund what’s working and starve what isn’t.
Marketing budgets deserve the same discipline.

When you apply VC thinking to marketing, you stop chasing hacks and start building systems that multiply.

If you’re a founder and want to understand where your marketing is leaking capital, DM me or drop a question below, I’ll break it down for you.

A founder I spoke to recently said...

“We’ve tried every growth hack out there, nothing sticks.”

When I asked what they’d learned from their customers so far, they paused.

That’s the thing, most small brands lean on algorithms before they lean on insights.

They boost posts, test audiences, run retargeting…

But skip the simplest part, understanding who’s actually clicking, and why.

The truth?

You don’t need a massive budget or AI dashboards to scale efficiently.

You just need curiosity.

1. Look at your top 10 customers, what do they have in common?
2. Check which content drives replies or DMs, not just likes.
3. Listen to the words customers use, they’re your best-performing copy.

Scaling doesn’t start with smarter ads.
 
It starts with smarter questions.

Because when you understand your audience deeply, every campaign becomes more intentional and every rupee spent works harder.

What’s one insight you’ve learned from your audience lately and how did it change your approach? 👇

Some brands don’t struggle because of competition.

They struggle because their inside is messier than their outside looks.

And ads can’t fix that.

Here are 3 signs it’s not an ad problem, it’s a structure problem:

1. Every message feels “kind of right” but not sharp.

If your value prop changes every time someone asks what you do… ads won’t save it.

2. Your team debates data instead of using it.

GA4 says one thing, Meta says another, and everyone ends up guessing.

3. Customers buy once and disappear.

A leaky journey makes scaling feel like pouring water into a broken bucket.

Before increasing spend, fix the foundation.

When the structure is right, even simple ads perform better.

Comment “Structure” and I’ll share a clean 3-step checklist you can apply today✌

I’ve realized “starting over” doesn’t always mean a big life change.

Sometimes it’s small… almost unnoticeable.

A new morning habit.

Letting go of something that drains you.

Choosing rest instead of forcing productivity.

Saying, “I’ll try again tomorrow.”

These tiny resets matter.

They quietly shift how you think, how you feel, how you show up.

You don’t need a dramatic restart.
 
Sometimes one small change is enough to begin again.

People kept telling me...

“Make a website first.”
“Build a portfolio first.”
“Wait till you have everything in place.”

But perfection has a funny way of delaying dreams.

So I launched Stackwise Media anyway.

No website.

No big case studies.

Just my skills… and belief that I’ll build the rest as I grow.

Because businesses don’t hire a website.
 
They hire a person who can solve their problem.

Starting small is still starting.

Done > Perfect. Always.

If you’re waiting for the “right” moment…
 
This is your reminder to begin with whatever you have.

Also, if you haven’t already...

Check out my company page & follow along.

Stackwise Media

Somewhere between campaign deadlines, CTRs, and ad spends..

It’s easy to forget why we do this in the first place.

Marketing isn’t just about selling products.

It’s about understanding people.

Their small frustrations, their little joys, their daily choices.

When a skincare brand helps someone feel confident,
 
When a fitness app makes mornings easier,
 
Or when a tiny ad makes someone smile after a long day,

That’s marketing doing what it’s meant to do.

We don’t just sell.

We solve, simplify, and sometimes, spark joy.

And maybe that’s the side of marketing we should never lose sight of the human one. 

What’s one campaign that made you feel something lately?

#marketingstrategy #digitalmarketing #brandstorytelling #emotionalmarketing #humanconnection

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The Battle

Ben Watkins

Nandini Rastogi

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The Battle

Ben Watkins

Nandini Rastogi

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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);}Nandini Rastogi's LinkedIn Performance

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