Stephen Adams

Strategic Growth Advisor. AI without the guesswork.

I help founders and boards scale revenue, put AI to work where it pays for itself, turn hard-won expertise into sales, and build a commercial team that delivers without you in every deal.

25+ years scaling businesses, contributing to over £100M in investment. Most AI advisers cannot sell. Most sales advisers do not understand AI. I have done both, and I have carried a number. The cost of guessing at either is a year you do not get back.

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Stephen Adams, Strategic Growth Advisor
25+years scaling businesses
25+
years scaling businesses across AI, telco and SaaS
£100M+
in investment contributed to
£50M
DX Communications sale
42%
deal-cycle reduction on a SaaS engagement

Four ways I help you grow

One advisor across the problems that usually sit with several different people. Where you start depends on what is costing you most right now.

Scale revenue and win bigger deals

Growth intent is not a growth plan. I build the commercial strategy, the sales structure and the discipline that let revenue grow without you closing every deal yourself.

  • Commercial and go-to-market strategy
  • A sales team that does not depend on you
  • Forecasting and pipeline you can actually trust
  • Winning seven-figure deals: map the room, hold your price
  • Turning a lost deal into the next contract

AI without the guesswork

Most AI advice is either a sales pitch or a science project. I help you find where AI removes cost or wins revenue, decide whether it is worth doing at all, and prove whether it worked. Most AI advisers cannot sell. I have carried a number.

  • Where AI actually pays, and where it does not
  • Practical adoption tied to a number, not a slide deck
  • Telling a real platform from a wrapper before you buy
  • ROI measured in hours and pounds, not adjectives
  • Roadmaps and training your team will actually use

Strengthen leadership and the board

The oversight and coaching that turns a good operation into a high-performing one. Non-executive director work and sales leadership development, from the person who has run both.

  • Non-executive director and board governance
  • Sales leadership coaching, 1:1 and team
  • STEPHEN ADAMS SALES SYSTEM™ implementation
  • Recruitment and team development
  • M&A advisory and due diligence

Turn deep expertise into revenue

The best pharmacist cannot always sell the medicine. The best engineer cannot always win the contract. I help experts and founders who are brilliant at what they do, but were never taught to take it to market.

  • Go-to-market strategy for expert-led businesses
  • Selling into mid-market and enterprise buyers
  • Building a lead generation engine, so you are not living on referrals
  • Scaling past the founder closing every deal
  • Pharmacy and professional services commercialisation

Proven Results

Real outcomes from strategic partnerships with start-ups and SMEs across AI, SaaS, and telco sectors.

STRATEGIC ADVISORY

National Childhood Kidney Programme: Fundraising Strategy

The Challenge

World-class science, stalled momentum. A Phase 2 clinical trials accelerator needed its own independent charitable capital to begin, building on the funded £10.4M LifeArc-Kidney Research UK Translational Centre for Rare Kidney Diseases. Every month of delay kept children on dialysis.

The Solution

Brought in as strategic advisor on the fundraising and go-to-market strategy. Advised the programme to take the committed capital rather than wait for the perfect structure, use an established charity as a financial conduit so trials start sooner, open the major donor networks already in place, and run the raise like a business with one owner and a real timeline.

The Results

A fundraising strategy built on the cost of not acting, aimed at the individuals who can commit at scale. The programme it supports spans all 13 UK children's kidney centres across the University of Liverpool, UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital, with the stated goal of a trial that could reduce kidney failure in children by up to a third.

AI IMPLEMENTATION

SaaS Scale-Up: AI-Powered Sales Automation

The Challenge

Mid-sized SaaS company with 15-person sales team struggling with manual prospecting, inconsistent follow-up, and poor pipeline visibility. Average deal cycle: 6 months.

The Solution

Implemented AI-powered sales automation suite including intelligent lead scoring, automated outreach sequencing, and predictive analytics. Delivered comprehensive team training and new sales playbook.

The Results

42% reduction in deal cycle time (from 6 months to 3.5 months), 65% increase in qualified pipeline, and 80% reduction in administrative time. Team closed £2.4M in new ARR within first 6 months post-implementation.

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Tech Start-Up: Series A to Series B Journey

The Challenge

Early-stage AI start-up post-Series A funding (£3.5M raised) needing commercial strategy, sales infrastructure, and investor-ready growth metrics to secure Series B.

The Solution

Joined board as NED focusing on commercial oversight. Developed go-to-market strategy, established sales function from zero, implemented performance frameworks, and supported Series B preparation and investor presentations.

The Results

Company scaled from £400K to £2.8M ARR in 18 months, built 8-person sales team, achieved 95% gross retention rate, and successfully closed £12M Series B round at 3x Series A valuation.

COACHING & DEVELOPMENT

Sales Leadership Transformation Programme

The Challenge

New Sales Director at established SME (£8M revenue) promoted from within, struggling with strategic leadership, team motivation, and transitioning from individual contributor to leader. Team morale low, high attrition.

The Solution

6-month executive coaching engagement using STEPHEN ADAMS SALES SYSTEM™ framework. Weekly 1:1 sessions, leadership assessment, situational leadership training, and team restructuring support.

The Results

Sales Director grew into role with demonstrable leadership capability. Team attrition reduced from 40% to 12% annually, employee satisfaction scores increased 35%, and team delivered 128% of annual quota (first time in 3 years exceeding target).

These are real engagements. Most client names are withheld under NDA, and those figures are the outcomes delivered. Where the programme is public, it is named.

Where Can AI Move the Needle in Your Business?

Tell me where you are now. I'll come back to you personally with where AI can drive the most value in your sales and operations, and whether it is worth doing at all.

Free AI Readiness Review

Thanks, your details are in. I'll be in touch personally within one working day. If it's urgent, book a call at calendly.com/stephen-adams2-dbsw.

About Stephen Adams

Stephen Adams, Strategic Growth Advisor and Non-Executive Director

I'm a commercial leader, investor, and non-executive director who's spent 25+ years scaling businesses from start-ups to enterprises across AI, telco, and SaaS. My track record? Contributing to over £100M in investment, securing multi-million-pound contracts, and helping drive major M&A outcomes including a £12.5B acquisition by BT.

I turn commercial intent into results. Scaling a business, negotiating seven-figure enterprise deals, or steering a company through a complex M&A process, I bring both the strategy and the execution to get it done.

I'm naturally curious and I connect the dots quickly. My work has always been about turning business opportunities into strategies that drive efficiency, performance, and revenue growth.

Books

Proven frameworks and personal insights from 25+ years in business and life.

STEPHEN ADAMS SALES SYSTEM Core Playbook cover

STEPHEN ADAMS SALES SYSTEM™ CORE PLAYBOOK

The proven 8-step sales framework used to close multi-million-pound B2B deals. From prospecting to closing, this playbook gives you the exact system that's generated over £100M in enterprise revenue.

Topics: Enterprise sales, B2B strategy, deal qualification, objection handling, closing techniques

View on Amazon
From Dead Data to £5 Million cover

From Dead Data to £5 Million: The AI Customer Satisfaction Revolution

Discover how to transform dormant customer data into actionable insights that drive revenue growth. Essential reading for business leaders looking to leverage AI for competitive advantage.

Topics: AI implementation, customer data strategy, revenue growth, business transformation

View on Amazon
The Situational Leader cover

The Situational Leader: Adapt Your Coaching Style, Build High-Performing Teams, and Develop Talent at Every Level

Drawing from decades of leading diverse teams across multiple industries, this book provides practical frameworks for becoming the leader your team needs.

Topics: Leadership development, coaching, team building, situational leadership

Kindle Edition
A Kidney for Lily cover

Kidney for Lily

A Kidney for Lily: A Dance of Hope is a heartfelt and compelling story that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, weaving through the trials and triumphs of a young girl's battle with chronic kidney disease. Written with warmth and empathy, this touching narrative is a beacon of hope for anyone facing life's challenges.

Topics: Children's book, hope, resilience, chronic kidney disease, family support

Kindle Edition

Articles & Insights

Practical advice on sales leadership, AI transformation, and business growth.

You're Losing Customers Every Night Because No One Answers at Midnight

The UK online pharmacy market is worth £27 billion, but 60% of enquiries come after 6 PM when no one's there to answer. I reveal how AI is helping pharmacies capture after-hours revenue and improve conversions by 40%.

Read on LinkedIn

Something Happened on October 29, 2025 That Nobody Was Expecting

A major shift in AI and revenue growth that caught everyone off guard. Discover what changed and how forward-thinking businesses are capitalising on this unexpected opportunity.

Read on LinkedIn

The 4-Day Week Debate: Great for Staff, Risky for Business

Everyone wants a 4-day work week, but what does it do to business performance? I break down the real numbers and how AI agents can bridge the gap whilst protecting revenue.

Read on LinkedIn

We Lost a £300,000 Deal, Then Won £1.1M From the Same Buyer

Beaten on price by 18%. I sent a handwritten note and stayed in touch with no agenda. Fourteen months later the cheaper solution had failed and they came back for a contract three times the size. Why a lost deal is rarely a closed door.

Read on LinkedIn

The CFO Said Drop the Price 20% or We Walk. I Said No.

Three days from signature, the discount demand landed. Why holding the line calmly wins more than it loses, and how the last-minute discount you did not need to give tells the buyer you have been overcharging them for months.

Read on LinkedIn

A Deal With One Champion Is Not a Deal. It Is a Hope.

The biggest deal I was ever certain we had won, then lost. I had sold to the one person who loved us, and never met the one who could kill it. How to map the whole room, every name and every veto, before it maps you.

Read on LinkedIn

The Best Pipeline You Have Is the One You Are Not Calling a Pipeline

When referrals dry up, most expert-led businesses have no engine of their own. A relationship I invested in for 25 years, no score kept, closed the deal I could not buy or negotiate. Building lead generation that does not depend on who happens to recommend you.

Read on LinkedIn

More Articles on LinkedIn

I regularly share insights on sales leadership, AI transformation, and business growth. Explore my full collection of articles covering enterprise sales, AI implementation, and scaling strategies.

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View All Articles on LinkedIn

Media & Speaking

Keynote presentations, podcast interviews, and media features on sales, AI, and leadership.

ADVOCACY

World Kidney Day Ambassador

Appointed as Ambassador for World Kidney Day 2024-Present, campaigning for kidney health awareness and early detection across the UK.

Learn More
CHARITY

PKD Charity Supporter

Active supporter and advocate for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Charity, raising awareness and supporting families affected by chronic kidney disease.

Visit PKD Charity
SPEAKING

Available for Speaking Engagements

Keynote speaker on sales leadership, AI transformation, scaling businesses, and overcoming adversity. Topics include enterprise sales, leadership development, and resilience.

Book Stephen