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I have watched many sales presentations and pitches during mid- and final-stage interviews. While many candidates bring polished slides, the ones who actually get the job offer are those who demonstrate how they think.

The difference between a good candidate and a great one is rarely about the design of the deck (would say a slick deck plays a part- but other factors are more essential). It is about the logic behind the strategy. If you want to impress hiring managers at startups or large firms, you need to move past the basics.

Here is how I recommend you approach your next interview pitch to ensure you stand out.

Show your reasoning, not just the result

It is easy to suggest a solution to a problem, but explaining how you reached that conclusion is what matters. I want to see your approach. When you present a strategy, explain the steps you took to build it. Showing your working proves that your success is repeatable and not just a lucky guess.

Lead with the big opportunities

A common mistake I see is candidates focusing on “low-hanging fruit” or easy wins. While these are important for early momentum, they rarely excite a leadership team. Instead, start your presentation with the largest clients or the most significant accounts you plan to target. Show that you have the ambition and the plan to win high-value business.

Keep your visuals concise

Your slides should support what you say, not replace it. I suggest avoiding wordy decks at all costs. If you read your slides word for word, you will lose the attention of the room. Use visuals to show:

• Commercial forecasting: Use clear charts to show expected growth.
• Data insights: Use simple graphics to highlight market trends.
• Targeting: Use maps or icons to show where you will focus your efforts.

Demonstrate commercial thinking

Hiring managers are less interested in your daily activity metrics, such as the number of calls you make, and more interested in your commercial logic. I look for how you prioritise your targets and how you forecast revenue. Explain how you will tackle specific challenges, such as a competitor dropping their prices or a shift in the market. This shows you understand the business side of sales, not just the process.

Tell a story with real impact

The most engaging presentations I have seen are those that tell a story. Talk about what has worked for you in the past, but also be honest about what did not. Explain why a certain approach failed and what you did to fix it. This demonstrates insight and the ability to adapt, which are vital traits in any sales role.

End with a punchy close

Do not let your presentation fizzle out. Wrap up with a clear, well-thought-out plan that outlines your next steps. I recommend providing a specific timeline, such as a 30-day plan, that ties your ideas together. This leaves the interviewers feeling confident in your ability to deliver results from day one.

Are you preparing for a final-stage interview or looking to grow your sales team?

I am always happy to share more specific insights from the current hiring market to help you succeed. Whether you are a candidate looking for your next move or a business lead looking for top talent, please get in touch for a chat about how I can support your goals.

I look at hundreds of CVs every single week. Lately, I have noticed a pattern. Many of the applications, particularly those looking at early-stage careers have noticeable similarities. It is easy to tell when an AI has manipulated a career and experience. While using technology can help, relying on it too much might actually stop you from getting an interview.

With that in mind, I wanted to share some honest advice on how to handle AI in CVs without losing your own voice.

The problem with the “Robot Voice”

When I read a CV, I want to get to know the person behind the paper. AI tends to use very formal, stiff language that people do not use in real life. If English is not your first language, you might feel that AI helps you sound more professional. However, it often does the opposite – it makes your CV formatting look cold and robotic while prohibiting you from differentiating yourself from the crowd.

Here is what I often see:

• Inflated experience: AI loves to make small tasks sound like huge projects. If you worked on the floor of a retail shop and the AI says you “orchestrated a multi-channel retail strategy,” it looks suspicious.
• Odd grammar: AI often uses American spellings or phrases that feel out of place in a UK work environment. It can also use strange spacing / use of hyphens etc. & the trained eye can spot these a mile off.
• Repetitive words: You might notice the same fancy words appearing in every single bullet point – to not correct this kind of thing before sending a CV shows poor attention to detail regardless of whether AI wrote it or not!

The interview challenge

I do not think candidates are inherently lying when they use AI, it is an attempt to showcase your best self. The trouble starts during the interview process. If I ask you to tell me more about a specific point on your CV and you cannot explain it because AI wrote it then an issue arises.

You need to own every word on that page. If the AI suggests a sentence, ask yourself: “Could I actually explain this in detail to a hiring manager?” If the answer is no, change it.

How to use AI to your advantage

I am not saying you should never use these tools. They are great for checking your spelling or helping you get started when you have writer’s block. Here’s a few suggestions:

1. Use it for ideas, not the final draft: Ask the AI for CV tips or for a list of skills for a specific role. Then, write the skills you have acquired out in your own words.
2. Personalise everything: If the AI gives you a summary, rewrite it. Mention specific details, such as the fact that you worked 15 hours a week while studying or that you managed a till in a busy cafe during the Christmas rush.
3. Check your formatting: Keep your CV formatting simple. Use clear headings, a clean font like Arial or Calibri, and bullet points. You do not need fancy graphics to stand out; you just need your CV to be easy to read.

Final Thoughts

AI is a doubled edged sword that has to be utilised carefully to see true benefits. If you can use it in conjunction with your own words and thoughts, it can be a powerful asset. However, relying on AI to do the heavy lifting leads to noticeable flaws, and it will affect your chances in an already saturated market of entry-level candidates. Don’t take the easy route, be different!

I often speak with founders and hiring managers who worry they will lose out on great people because their company is not yet well known. It is a common concern, but you do not need a global brand to hire the best people in the market. In my experience, candidates are often more interested in the specific work they will do and the people they will work with than the logo on their Linked-In Profile.

If you want to compete with the big firms, you can do so by creating a hiring process that is personal, transparent, and efficient. Here is how I help my clients stand out to high-quality candidates.

1. Create a comprehensive briefing pack

A standard job description is rarely enough to get someone excited. I recommend creating a detailed briefing pack specific to the business and the team. This should go beyond a list of tasks. Include information on:

• The specific projects the person will lead in their first six months.
• The team structure and who they will report to.
• The tools and technology they will use daily.
• A clear map of the interview process so they know exactly what to expect.

When I share a pack like this with a candidate, it shows them that you are organised and serious about this hire.

2. Give your recruiter the full story

When you give me a brief for a new role, I need to feel the excitement behind the project. If you can, send me a short, one-minute video or a direct quote from the line manager. Hearing a founder or manager talk about why the role exists and what they hope the new hire will achieve is a powerful tool. It allows me to represent your business with genuine enthusiasm and helps candidates visualise working for you.

3. Design an inclusive and efficient interview process

Long, drawn-out hiring processes are the quickest way to lose talent. I suggest a process with two or three stages at most. This is enough time to assess skills while keeping the momentum high.

During these stages, let the candidate meet multiple people from the business. This gives them a better sense of the culture than any brochure could. I also suggest asking every candidate if they have any specific requirements for the interview. Whether they need a quiet space or have specific accessibility needs, asking this question early shows that you are an inclusive employer.

4. Honesty is the best policy

Transparency builds trust. If there are aspects of the role that might be seen as a challenge, explain them early in the process. For example, if the role requires five days a week in the office, state this in the briefing pack and explain why. You might require everyone in the office to help with hands-on training or to foster faster collaboration during a growth phase.

When you explain the reasoning behind your policies, candidates are much more likely to respect them. It is better to find someone who is happy with your specific way of working than to have someone join and leave three months later because they felt misled.

5. Focus on the candidate experience

Every interaction a candidate has with you is a reflection of what it is like to work at your company. Signpost every step of the way. If you say you will give feedback by Thursday, make sure you do. Small details, like providing a clear agenda for an interview or introducing them to the team they will sit with, make a lasting impression.

By being specific, honest, and organised, you can build a team that is just as talented as any large firm.

If you’d like to discuss this further, I can be reached on george@vertical-advantage.com.

I have spent the last four months speaking with e-commerce leaders and senior candidates daily. One trend stands out: there is a significant shortage of quality talent across almost every pocket of the Amazon ecosystem. As client side brands look to grow, the traditional preference for hiring purely from other in-house teams is shifting as the market becomes more bouyant.

Every day, I am seeing more Heads of Amazon, D2C and e-commerce directors look toward agencies to find their next mid – senior hires. Agencies have become incubators for the exact type of talent that fast-growing brands need right now as pace & agility become premium requirements in the current market.

The Breadth of Agency Experience

The primary reason I see brands “fishing” from agencies is the sheer amount of exposure these candidates have. An in-house hire often wins on depth & tangible results: they know one brand, one catalogue, and one set of internal processes inside out. This works well when a business is stable and every task is clearly defined and candidates can point to end to end ownership of results.

However, agency talent brings a different set of skills:

• Multiple Categories: An agency account manager might look after beauty, electronics, and FMCG brands simultaneously. They understand how different algorithms and consumer behaviours affect various sectors.
• Speed of Growth: Brands today want to scale quickly. Agency professionals are used to high-pressure environments where they must deliver results for several clients at once.
• End-to-End Ownership: In many AMZ agencies, Account Managers and Client Directors own the entire brand relationship. They handle everything from strategy to execution.

Hire direct from Amazon?

I often hear from clients that candidates coming directly from Amazon can sometimes feel more like project managers than hands-on operators – they can run a great process which fits businesses with great structure. While they understand the internal workings of the platform, they may lack the “scrappy” execution skills required by a D2C brand – the vast majority of these have minimal structure and need talent who work with ambiguity (or chaos depending on the time of year!)

In contrast, performance marketers and account leads in agencies are usually in the weeds of the data every day. For a D2C brand that views itself as agile and fast-moving, the agency mindset often feels like a more natural fit than the more “polished” approach of a Blue Chip or Amazon corporate hire.

The Reality of the Move In-house

While the move from an agency to a brand is popular, it does come with specific challenges that I discuss with candidates regularly.

1. Salary Adjustments: It is common for candidates to sacrifice a portion of their base salary or bonus structure when moving from a high-level agency role to an in-house position. The trade-off is usually more focus and a closer connection to the product.
2. Cultural Shifts: Moving from a fast-paced agency to a brand requires a change in pace. You move from managing ten brands to being responsible for the long-term health of just one.
3. Depth of Focus: For those who enjoy the variety of agency life, moving in-house can feel restrictive. I advise candidates to ensure the brand they join has a large enough catalogue or ambitious enough expansion plans to keep them engaged. They will face different challenges and need to recognise that they will be sacrificing some of the exhilarating highs agency life can offer.

Finding the Right Fit

The talent landscape is changing. Agencies are no longer just service providers; they are training grounds for the next generation of e-commerce leaders. Whether you are a brand looking to hire someone who can hit the ground running, or a senior agency professional looking to take ownership of a single brand, the opportunities are there.

Want to discuss it further? Reach out to me on luke@vertical-advantage.com.

Quite often Supply Chain candidates particularly at a junior level have ‘fallen into’ Supply Chain/Operations roles and whilst that is a perfectly acceptable way to start a career, it doesn’t necessarily bring progressive thought and leadership in all situations that may come from candidates who have chosen supply chain or logistics to be their chosen vocation.

We have this conversation regularly – the Founder or CMO starts with, ‘we need to take performance marketing in-house…..’

why?

It’s a regular conversation and not just a passing trend; it is a strategic move to gain greater control over data, budgets, and brand voice. If you’re a hiring manager or a performance marketer, understanding this shift is vital when considering your next steps.

Own your results – key to success
In my conversations with CMOs / Heads of Digital and business owners, a common theme emerges: ownership. When a company uses an agency, they often feel one step removed from the day-to-day activity. By bringing the function in-house, businesses gain full control over their accounts and real-time data.

Companies are now looking for hands-on talent who live and breathe the brand every day. They want specialists who are not splitting their time across multiple clients, but instead are focused entirely on one set of goals. This leads to faster decision-making and a deeper understanding of the customer journey.

Building an in-house performance marketing function – here’s how:
If you are a business owner or hiring manager looking to make this transition, the first question is usually, ‘where do I start?’ Based on the successful placements I have made, I typically see three main approaches:

• The junior hire – a cost-effective way to begin. You hire a junior specialist to execute campaigns and manage daily tasks, while retaining an agency on a smaller retainer for high-level strategic support.
• The mid-level manager – a popular choice for SMEs. You hire someone who can execute campaigns immediately, but who also has the potential to grow into a strategic leader as the business scales.
• The senior leader – for larger D2C / Consumer lead businesses, hiring a Performance Marketing or Acquisition lead is often the first step. This person sets the strategy from day one and then builds a specialised team beneath them but the focus here is to engage the audience and build from there.

What businesses need to consider
Moving your marketing in-house is a significant commitment. Before you begin interviewing, I recommend reviewing a few key areas:
1. Technology and tools – do you have the right tech stack to support an internal team? You will need ownership of your tracking, attribution, and reporting tools.
2. Data ownership – make sure you have full access to your historical data from your current agency, so your new hire can hit the ground running.
3. Culture and support – performance marketers thrive when they can collaborate closely with creative and data teams. Ensure your internal structure allows for this.

Hiring advice!
For performance marketers, this shift is great news. Moving in-house often allows you to see the long-term impact of your work. You can track how campaigns affect the bottom line over months and years, rather than focusing solely on weekly reports.

It also offers the opportunity to build something from the ground up and grow alongside a brand but agency side performance / growth marketing talent need to be mindful – showcasing you pay attention, care and consider the end result of campaigns you run are key to securing that move client side!

As we continue to evolve and strengthen our finance function, it’s vital to understand what today’s finance professionals are truly seeking in their roles. The market for commercial finance jobs, particularly within FMCG finance, is highly competitive. Attracting and retaining top finance talent requires aligning with their evolving priorities and expectations.

Here’s what’s top of mind for today’s finance talent—and how employers in the commercial finance and FMCG sectors can stay ahead:

Purpose-Driven Roles in Commercial Finance

Finance professionals are looking for more than transactional work. They want to be seen as strategic business partners, contributing to direction, forecasting, and data-led decision-making. In both commercial finance jobs and FMCG finance, candidates value roles where their insight directly impacts commercial outcomes.

Career Progression & Skills Development

Professionals seek clear progression routes and opportunities to upskill- through leadership development, financial qualifications (ACCA, CIMA, ACA), or hands-on exposure to FP&A, transformation, and commercial finance projects. This is especially important for those building long-term careers in FMCG finance or aiming for senior commercial finance roles.

Flexibility & Trust in the Finance Function

Hybrid working models, autonomy, and respect for work-life balance are now baseline expectations. Forward-thinking employers offering flexible working environments are more likely to attract and retain skilled finance professionals.

Smarter Finance Tools

Finance teams want to work smarter, not harder. Automation, ERP systems, Power BI, and real-time data analytics are key in reducing manual work and increasing strategic focus. This is particularly relevant in FMCG finance, where fast-paced decision-making is critical.

Collaborative & Inclusive Culture

Cross-functional collaboration is a must – especially in budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning. Inclusive, communicative cultures where finance is valued as a business driver are essential in commercial and FMCG finance jobs.

Total Reward Matters

Salary alone doesn’t seal the deal. Candidates assess total compensation – including performance bonuses, pensions, study support, wellbeing benefits, and job security. These factors are especially important when evaluating commercial finance roles within FMCG businesses.

Broader Exposure & Role Variety

Many finance professionals move on due to lack of development or exposure. From Accounts Assistants stuck in repetitive tasks to Management Accountants seeking their next step toward becoming a Financial Controller, the desire for a broader scope is clear. In FMCG finance, where rapid progression is possible, offering variety and challenge is a key differentiator.

To win the war for talent in commercial finance jobs and FMCG finance, businesses must offer purposeful roles, continuous development, flexible working, modern tools, and inclusive cultures, backed by a competitive total reward package. Finance professionals want more than a job; they want a meaningful career path where they can make an impact.

I enjoy assisting ambitious businesses with their recruitment requirements. One notable example is my collaboration with the award-winning MarTech brand.

Below, I outline how I aided their dynamic team in securing three pivotal hires, ranging from Manager to VP, within an 8-week timeframe.

The Problem

Amazon’s third-party seller business now accounts for over 60% of sales on the platform, with consistent YOY growth of around 20% for every quarter in 2023.

Unsurprisingly, the competition for talent has matched this relentless growth over the past few years. While the market has cooled slightly since the heights of 2022, it can still be challenging to find the right people.

I’ve pulled together a quick run-down of some of the main areas that we see top Amazon talent coming from, with the pros & cons of hiring from them.

Directly from Amazon:

Look out for job titles such as Partner Managers, Marketplace Consultants, and Team Leads.

Pros:

• The robust hiring process ensures the recruitment of top-tier talent.
• They possess strong ‘insider’ knowledge of how Amazon 3P operates.
• Process-driven, strong problem solvers, analytical.

Cons:

• Can be expensive, with base salaries in line with the wider market but often supplemented by very strong share packages.
• The Partner Management program provides top-line exposure to 3P but may not require individuals to be hands-on operators.
• They may struggle to adapt to cultures that are less process-driven than Amazon.

CPG brands:

Look for job titles such as Marketplace Managers, Amazon Advertising Managers, Heads of Marketplace, and National Account Managers.

Pros:

• Strong operational experience, often required to be very hands-on inside seller central.
• Scrappy and able to work at pace, particularly from smaller brands that have scaled successfully on 3P.
• Can offer good value for money, especially in SMEs where there is undervalued talent.

Cons:

• Those from larger businesses might not have been ‘hands-on’, with lots of resources to handle operational work.
• Strong 3P operators who have been very hands-on may lack stakeholder management experience or struggle to adapt to larger corporates.
• Individuals from larger brands often come with strong packages including car allowance, bonus, pension, and shares.

Agencies:

Look for job titles such as Client/Account Managers, Client/Account Directors, Amazon Advertising Specialists, and Marketplace Consultants.

Pros:

• Agencies foster the most up-to-date knowledge of winning on Amazon.
• Exposure to multiple clients allows individuals to see the successes and failures of different strategies.
• Can offer good value for money compared to brands, Amazon, AdTech, or aggregators.

Cons:

• May lack true ownership of Amazon accounts, involved with some elements but not complete ownership.
• Some may struggle with stakeholder management and ‘politics’ when working for larger brands.
• May lack strategic insight.

Network media agencies:

Look for job titles similar to those in agencies.

Pros:

• Strong media and PPC knowledge, with an understanding of the retail media landscape.
• Used to working with big brands and big budgets.
• Strong process and stakeholder management skills.

Cons:

• Not as Amazon-centric as specialist agencies, potentially lacking constant learning.
• Generally not required to be as hands-on with running accounts.
• Lack of ownership, responsible for one piece of a larger puzzle but not for making decisions.
• May lack commercial acumen when evaluating the impact of advertising on the bottom line.

Other options – AdTech, Aggregators, Amazon FBA business owners:

There are increasingly more AdTech platforms with a specialist Amazon focus, offering strong talent, particularly in PPC & DSP. While aggregators have not been hiring as aggressively as during the 2020-2022 period, they often have exceptional talent. Individuals who have built and run their own FBA businesses can offer great value for money, having been involved in every decision from NPD to sales to marketing to finance to supply chain management.

What are some noteworthy hiring trends observed in 2023?

We conducted an analysis based on data from 85 hires made by our team between January and June 2023, spanning various fields including eCommerce, Performance Marketing, Brand Management, National Accounts, Analytics, and Supply Chain. Here are the key highlights:

Average Base Salary Increase: 6.7%
Pay Cuts: Surprisingly, 21 out of the 85 individuals took a pay cut, with an average decrease of 8.2%.
Salary Increases: 48 out of the 85 individuals enjoyed a salary increase, averaging at 14.5%.
Consistency in Salary: Interestingly, 16 people changed roles without any change in their base salary.

A striking observation here is that nearly one in four individuals experienced a pay cut. This phenomenon can be attributed to a combination of factors, including redundancy, market corrections in sectors that had witnessed substantial wage growth in 2021/22, and individuals prioritizing work-life balance over financial compensation.

Most frequently cited reasons for changing roles include:

Career Advancement/New Challenges: 29%
Redundancy: 20%
Desire for Remote Work Flexibility: 10%
Relocation: 10%

While the “career progression” category lacks specific details, a recurring theme is companies freezing internal promotions or being unable to provide assurances regarding the timing of internal transfers, prompting individuals to explore external opportunities. Although redundancies have not impacted the consumer sector as profoundly as the tech sector, they have played a significant role in shaping the talent market this year.

Turning our attention to broader trends and observations:

Undoubtedly, the talent market in 2023 has not been as dynamic as it was in the preceding years of 2022 and 2021. However, this shift was anticipated, as the unprecedented growth and activity of those years were unsustainable. Factors such as reduced venture capital funding, decreased consumer spending, ongoing challenges related to iOS14, and rising input costs have collectively contributed to a more cautious approach toward expanding headcounts across industries.

As the balance of power in hiring has tilted away from job seekers towards employers, we’ve witnessed a trend of more rigorous interview processes and heightened expectations from hiring entities. Gone are the days when candidates could entertain multiple job offers after interviewing for several roles within a short period.

In terms of the types of businesses that have been actively hiring, there seems to be a lack of consistency in terms of size or industry. Whether it’s established blue-chip companies, venture capital-backed startups, self-sustaining direct-to-consumer (D2C) startups, Software as a Service (SaaS) firms, or agencies, businesses in all these categories have seen both growth and reduction in their headcounts. However, a common thread among successful hirers is their proactive approach to understanding unit economics, streamlining operations, and optimising their cost structures in 2022, positioning them favorably for the challenges and opportunities of 2023.