Richard Lane co-founded sales growth agency durhamlane with Lee Durham. The firm has gone on to work with business names such as Aviva, Sage and Deloitte, among others.
What was your first job (and how much did it pay)? I guess my first official job was a paper round with a whopping £5 per week, I think. Even then I was a committed worker; I collapsed at the end of my shift and when taken to the doctor it was confirmed I had been delivering the papers whilst I had pneumonia!
What is the best advice or support you’ve been given in business Someone once brought to my attention the value of respecting not only the time of others but my own time too. In sales it’s key we spend our time where we can be most successful but it’s easy to forget how precious our own time is.
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What are the main changes you’ve seen in your business/sector, and what are the challenges you’re facing? Changes in buying behaviours in recent years have forced the sales and marketing sectors to adapt how they reach out and engage customers and prospects. Consumers these days are responding more to data-driven decision making and want quick, easy and seamless transactions, so digitisation is really making its mark. This mentality is also transferring into the B2B world.
Post pandemic, desk-based or virtual selling has become the norm. This is a big challenge for many where sales has traditionally been field-based and relied on in-person events. Face-to-face is returning but won’t be the same. Furthermore, the value of in-person meetings has increased in gravitas – there will be less tea and biscuit account management meet ups! More than ever our job is to be the sense-makers and the storytellers, creating value for customers and helping solve their challenges.
However, with change comes opportunity. As a business, we’re leading the way in integrating marketing and sales activities whilst putting the customer in the centre of the picture. We have always been big advocates of building long-term relationships with our clients, so now more than ever we are finding new and innovative ways to drive value to the customer.
How has the pandemic changed the way you work? As with most businesses, flexible working has revolutionised durhamlane and shifted how we recruit. Around 30% of our workforce is now based outside of the North East and is helping us to build a more diverse workforce. Every durhamlaner benefits from hybrid working, another example of our commitment to helping our staff as best we can, especially during this time of cost-of-living increase.
We’ve always aimed to be a great place to work so being able to build on that positive working environment benefits all parties. Our staff thrive from a better work/life balance and the business profits from increased motivation and productivity. We were thrilled to be voted Best Companies’ 16th Best Mid-Sized Company to work for in the UK earlier this year.
Who is your role model in business? I try to pick up learnings from everyone I work with – colleagues, customers, partners. I also see life and business as one rather than separate worlds. One of my role models is the late and certainly great, B. B. King. He had the ambition, determination, and bloody mindedness required to be successful in spite of the adversity surrounding him. At the same time, he remained humble and spent his life dedicated to being the best version of himself.
What would your dream job be? Definitely a rock star! I had my heart set on a career in music from the age of 15. Looking back, I doubt I would have suited the rock-and-roll lifestyle – I’m a bit of a homebird. A career in sales and being a business owner in some ways mirrors what I might have achieved if I had pursued a career in music – the opportunity to be creative, to connect with many different people and to perform in front of an audience albeit without my guitar.
I am incredibly proud of building a career in sales and growing durhamlane over the last 11 years into the respected and recognised brand it is today. I’m a great advocate of sales being a valued and credible profession. It’s one of the reasons Lee (Durham) and I created durhamlane – to raise the bar in sales, something that is still embedded in our founding goals. Sadly, sales isn’t always promoted as a good career option for young people and we’re doing our best to change that perception at durhamlane.
What advice would you give to someone starting out a career in your sector? Put your best foot forward, always look for opportunities to learn and develop, work hard and be inquisitive. Digest and live by durhamlane’s 10 Mantras!
What makes the North East a good place to do business? A thriving entrepreneurial, business community with multiple universities all delivering graduates eager to enter the world of work. When it comes to down-time, we have the most amazing, unspoilt beaches and within a few minutes of getting my trainers on I can be running in the countryside.
How important is it for business to play a role in society? Hugely important. Particularly from a recruitment point of view. Over the years we’ve helped so many durhamlaners build careers, many of which have climbed the ladder within the business. I always feel a sense of pride when I see current and former durhamlaners go on to great things.
Supporting the local community is also a big part of our business and we have helped many local charities like Tiny Lives and Oasis Community Housing through fundraising and volunteering. We encourage all our staff to get involved and go above and beyond to support the local community. We’ve also won awards for our charitable work, including most recently Oasis Community Housing’s 2022 Shared Value Award.
Outside of work, what are you really good at? I still play the guitar, albeit, not in the big arenas my 15-year-old self would have dreamt of! Playing the guitar has always been passion of mine and will always be an important part of my life.
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