Niraj Kapur, LinkedIn Trainer and Sales Coach
After 23 years in London running sales teams from The Guardian newspaper Group to FTSE 100 businesses, Niraj wanted to raise the standards of sales, so he wrote Everybody Works in Sales which was in the Amazon Top 100 on 29 occasions. He then set up his own sales coaching and LinkedIn training company to keep businesses accountable to help them achieve results. He’s delivered training to 300 small businesses including corporates like Barclays, Natwest, Sainsbury’s and Google.
What is your favourite social media platform?
LinkedIn - it's the best way to build relationships and grow your business.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
People call me when they want to close more sales. When I speak to them, closing sales is never the problem. They're not opening or engaging properly with the customers. They're not listening or prospecting effectively. They're not leveraging LinkedIn. Once you get this right, everything else falls into place much easier.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
I make a positive difference to people. I empower them with knowledge and they get results that grow their business. That's an amazing thing to be able to do.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Invest in yourself and give to others as much as possible.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
My daughter and parents inspire me. Giving to the several charities I support each month helps me move forward. The more I earn, the more charities benefit.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
No matter how many times I get kicked down, I find the strength to get back up again and continue to help others.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
Face to Face, although Zoom is a great option for overseas meetings.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
2011-2016 I travelled the world on business. How people do business in South Korea is so different to the middle east which is so different to Germany. I learned so much about cultures, people, habits and mannerisms. Business is about understanding people and understanding sales.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
The more you learn, the more you earn. You have to invest in yourself to grow and become better. Personal development will always take you in a better direction.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
Abraham Lincoln. He stood by his principles when everybody else was against him and he made the world a better place.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I play drums in a rock band. We play The Doors, The Beatles, The Who, early Fleetwood Mac. Also, the charity work I do for Movember, Willen Hospice and other charities in the UK.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you been managing it?
It was tough at the beginning and I had to move my business online. I launched my 2nd book, paid-for masterclasses and premium sales course, so I made the best out of a bad situation.
Do you have a mentor or have you ever mentored anyone?
I've had various coaches and mentors over the year. It's the best money you can spend.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Find someone more successful than you with values you respect and pay them to coach you. You will learn ten times faster than doing it yourself.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Not investing in themselves. Most people fail in business because they don't invest in sales. it's not because they're stupid. It's because everybody works in sales and most people can't sell.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
Sales are about helping your customer win.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Salesforce and Nike are my favourites.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
People often mistake success for money. I've had lots of money and was miserable. It's about doing work you love that makes a difference to others, then coming home to people at night who love and respect you, whom you also love back. That is the greatest gift anyone can have.