One of the realities of running a business is that not every part of the job plays to your strengths or interests.
At heart, I am a salesperson.
Not in the stereotypical sense of persuading people to buy things they do not need, but in helping people understand how a product or service can solve a genuine problem. Throughout my career I have only been comfortable working with organisations whose products do what they claim to do, whose people operate with integrity, and whose solutions improve patient care or release valuable NHS resources.
What I have always enjoyed most is interacting with people, understanding challenges and helping organisations find solutions.
What I have enjoyed rather less is the detailed research, analysis and internal processes that sit behind the sale.
Even in my first pharmaceutical sales role, success depended on understanding the clinical condition, the impact on patients and the evidence base behind the product. If I did not know the answer to a question, the response was simple:
“Sorry, I can’t answer that. Let me come back to you once I have spoken to Medical Affairs.”
Trust is built on knowledge and honesty.
More recently, as part of my role with Curovia Healthcare, I have found myself undertaking work that I have spent years telling clients I do not do.
UK GDPR compliance. DSPT. DCB0129. Policy development. Governance documentation. Reference numbering. Document control.
Not as a specialist consultant, but as part of the leadership team responsible for building a UK healthcare business capable of working safely and effectively with the NHS.
Is it my natural skill set? No.
Is it essential? Absolutely.
One of the lessons I have learned over the years is that leadership is not about only doing the things you enjoy. It is about doing the things that are necessary.
Safe services require robust governance.
Trust requires evidence.
Credibility requires consistency.
And successful sales require all of those things to be in place first.
I am still a salesperson. I still find regulations and compliance processes frustrating at times. But if a task is important for protecting patients, safeguarding data, supporting staff and building trust with customers, then it deserves the same commitment and attention as any sales conversation.
Sometimes the work we enjoy least is the work that enables everything else to happen.
