Luke Matthews

Co-Founder | Lifestyle Blogger |  Content Marketer | Storyteller 

I teach you how to write with AI (and win LinkedIn)

You don't fit in. You feel left behind and you can't play the social media game that other's tell you to play.... 

Well stranger it's true that the internet has changed. BUT not all is lost....

Yes, dead internet theory is alive and well, it feels like there are no humans on LinkedIn™ or any platform anymore doesn't it? 

BUT my dear rebel, you aren't alone. 

After marketing for over 10 years on social media, building over 250k followers across all my platforms and ghostwriting for some of the biggest personal brands in the world....

I quit social media last year. 

Let me explain...

I built my social media on my terms. Sharing the most unhinged content you will ever see. I streamed drunk from the Scottish highlands, given away 1000s of dollars of pizza, hosted live meme competitions and battled other influencers LIVE... 

It was a blast BUT..... I started trying too hard to optimize my "personal brand" and I lost my way. 

10 bans on this platform didn't help and I decided to disappear into the shadows and leave the social media game behind. I was tired of being the rebel that got punished for playing a different game.

So I spent 2025 focusing on biohacking and figuring out how to enjoy my life again after years of hustling and obsession with work... 

It was a great year but truth be told I missed the banter. So I started questioning my choice to disappear...

It was during this journey that I learned a ton about private AI, cybersecurity as well as alternative tools that felt cool to use again. I tapped into my driving force....

Being a rebel without a cause. 

I like building things my way, on my time and saying whatever the heck I want. That's my roots. 

That's the way of the rebel, it's playing a different game with different goalposts and embracing it 1000% without any shame. 

AI and big tech want to put us into a cage. 
But we can use them to build our own kingdoms. 
We CAN build our own freedom.

So if that resonated with you, and you want to learn the "Rebel's Guide to the Creator Economy" and find a lane that serves you best...

I hope you'll follow me in 2026.

Cheers and lets crush it!

--

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘆? 

Follow me and subscribe to my email list. You can subscribe by clicking any link in my profile as they all go to my newsletter on Substack. 

--

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁?

Email me at luke@wizardofoddmarketing.com

Founder - Lead Wizard & Ghostwriter

Linkedin & Twitter Ghostwriting Services for CEOs, Influencers, and Tech companies. 
Reach your audience with a sprinkle of magic, the power of explosive copywriting, and let the WIZARD OF odd MARKETING help make your biz a LOT  less boring.

Alright LinkedIn, let's be real for a second.

I know you're terrified... You see everyone else using AI and you either think:

A) "This is the end of human connection.... Soooo I'm going to write everything by hand in a candle-lit room!"

B) "I must prompt everything! I will become a GPT-powered content machine!"

Black and white thinking is just as lazy as the AI slop ur favorite influencer just posted. 

100% human get's u left behind.
100% AI get's u sounding like a robot.

The winning strategy is to be both human & AI. 

It's not that deep.

Use AI to handle the boring back end stuff.
Use your humanity to connect with your audience.

Easy peasy... 

Personally I've always enjoyed writing unhinged AND automating the back end like a nerd.

No need to pick a side.. 

Use AI AND be so human it stands out.

👊

𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲?

Join me on Substack for daily unhinged writing + bi-weekly newsletters for rebels.. https://lnkd.in/eagxG_7k

I got 99 problems and a LinkedIn ain’t one.

The 2026 LinkedIn algorithm favors written content.

But NOT AI slop... You must write SO human it hurts..... 

These writing staples used to work:

-Short sentences like this.
-Ridiculous post hooks.
-The rule of three.
-[this] vs [that] + [philosophical power statement'
-Open loops.
-Listicles...

But AI is good enough that you can feed it the above principles and it will do a decent job writing words and FEEL LIKE CHATGPT WROTE IT AND YOU WILL GET NO CLIENTS.........

Sorry folks but you got to write for yourself.

Writing in 2026 still requires you to learn techniques. 

But now it demands a secondary layer to feel human.... 

You need to add these to your skillset: 

-Chunky paragraphs. 
-Written technical knowledge of your industry.
-Humorous and cultural pieces. 
-The art of writing to specific pain points.
-Spelling mistakes n choppy sentences..
-The courage to say what others wont with some spice...

You don't need hot selfies.

But look ur words can't be mid any longer....

PS Yes I made this infographic with AI. Did it trigger u?

(I'm all for creating media with AI just no words lol)

How to create an elite infographic with AI.

Step 1: Turn the ON Switch on in your brain...

(yes you still need your wits to create with AI)

Step 2: Use the Artlist All-in-One AI Toolkit.
Step 3: Select Nano-Banana 2 (now on Artlist)
Step 4: Use my prompt.... 

Comment ELITE to get it and you can stop reading.

OR....

Read on and follow my actual 4-step framework for commanding the AI to work some magic because you know that AI s an illiterate artist that struggles with detail UNLESS you tell it exactly what to do and use the right model. 

That's why Nano Banana 2 is elite.

I used it to create this infographic within my work sandbox.

It's an elite text-to-image and image-to-image model where outputs are more accurate, detailed, and repeatable across generations. It keeps the speed the Nano Banana family is known for but improves the quality. Ideal for ad variations, social content, and video frames at scale. 

I mostly use it for infographics and ads. 

Anywhoodles....... here's the real 4 step guide: 

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲.

Don’t say “make an infographic.” Say “make a professional infographic in a clean, magazine editorial style with a warm cream paper background and a sage green color palette.” Define the entire visual language from the start.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁.

Don’t let the AI guess the structure. Tell it exactly what you want. “Create a 4:5 aspect ratio image with a main title at the top, two cards in the middle, and a four-column feature section below.” You are the architect.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗗𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁.

Never let the AI write your copy. It’s an image generator, not a copywriter. Put every single word you want it to render in quotes. Titles. Body text. Labels. Everything.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀.

Be ruthlessly specific. Specify the fonts. List the exact color hex codes. Describe the icon style (“simple, hand-drawn doodle line art”). The more details you lock in, the fewer mistakes the AI can make.

Once again if you want my prompt comment ELITE but don't just copy me. 

Study it. See how it works.
Then, make it your own.

PS Who read the whole post? Your the best if you did.

--

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁?

Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/ejKNGHgQ

The gurus took over LinkedIn. 

If you detest “how to get rich” posts.
If you detest “I made 50k MRR” posts..
If you detest “I have 500k followers” posts…

Do what I do...

Be ruthless. Mute, unfollow & block these grifting gurus.

And go where you are treated best...

I've been banned over 10x and have found battling the AI slop, endless grifting and platform indifference tiring..

So I post 1 or 2x a week and run ads.

I speak my mind on Substack and find my tribe of rebels there.

LinkedIn may be 69% dead... 

But the thinkers, builders & genuine souls are still building and fighting for their corner of the internet...

It's just not here.

🤷

3 years ago I booked a one way ticket to South America.

I’d never been, didn’t speak Spanish, didn’t know anyone……………..

Blah blah blah..... BLAH!

Every story like this now follows the same script. 

<Insert hero’s journey back story here>

<Insert relatable sob story struggles here>

<Insert comeback arc here>

<Insert generic encouragement here>

<Insert call to action to my program to teach u too>

Marketers and influencers somehow have ruined good storytelling too and the modern internet really is unbearable.....

But also... I... did... actually do this. 

I eat $500 steak for breakfast.

It changed EVERYTHING SO BUY MY COURSE OK......

<insert pattern interrupt here>

Ha ha ha ha....

I just can’t follow the script… 

Aight im done.

PS Who misses stories with no sell at the end?

--

So.. This is the perfect time to sell!!!

<insert not so surprising double plot twist here>

Yes. You've been had and I know you aren't mad about it.

So look.. Join my free community of rebels over on Substack. I rant about the creator economy and share daily icebreaker questions to help you meet humans....

Join us here: https://lnkd.in/dB96mKfP

I don't write with AI. But I do create media.

With Artlist I get access to the leading models like Kling 2.6 Pro, Sora 2 and new models like Seedance 2.0....

I use an isolated work sandbox when accessing Artlist to create infographics, PDFs and elite videos. 

(to keep my data as secure as possible) 

Cheers to Artlist for sponsoring this post.

They keep adding great AI models to the Artlist all in one AI Toolkit and Seedance 2.0 is coming soon....

You'll get features like:

𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱: Tag anything to build via 1 prompt.

𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘄𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄: Generate seamless, one-take sequences with perfect cinematic continuity.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝗵𝘂𝗽: Combine up to 12 assets like text, images, video, and audio all at once.

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝘁𝘀: Auto-generate sound effects and music that sync perfectly to the on-screen action.

𝗣𝗿𝗼-𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹: Swap characters, delete clips, or extend your footage from any frame.

Learn more about Seedance 2.0 here..
↳ https://lnkd.in/d5V-_QmV

Wild what can be done now with AI as a solo creator...

--

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁?

Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eFgDmM6u

PS Is it just me or does anyone feel the struggle to keep up with AI right now..... lol

This video was made using Seedance 2.0, coming soon to Artlist.

Brand partnership • I got 99 problems and a LinkedIn ain’t one.

I'm a Canadian who grew up playing hockey and I couldn't be more pleased that team USA won the gold........

Hockey players are the toughest of all sports. 

Hockey players fight, throw big hits and take pucks to the teeth, get up keep playing and score the game winning goal like Jack Hughes...

Aaaaand then go celly with the prez & handle the media with class....

But you know behind closed doors they are laughing.

#goats

PS What's your favorite sport? 

Oh and yes... I left Canada ages ago. No regrets... :)

Vibe coding is great for shipping apps.

But shipping a product people want to buy is the hard part....  

(you need an audience to sell too)

Vibe coding used to be a grifters dream. 

Sell the hope of making a product easy and making money fast BUT that's not the reality. It takes time to build a product and a business. 

The good news is.... AI can now help make technical part easy.

Replit lets me build the tool I wish existed when I was cleaning up my own digital life.

The tool I used to clean my digital footprint was great for a deep clean. But there was no simple, free way to just 𝘴𝘦𝘦 how much of my data I was exposing. I wanted a tool that made people aware of what the current risk was for their social media accounts and let them start cleaning up slowly.

So I built Privacy Guard using Replit which helps make building a mobile app and getting into the App Stores simple.

The traditional barriers of mobile development are handled by the AI.

This is how easy it is:

1. Start with a prompt of your tool/app idea.
2. Describe how the mobile app works.
3. Wait for AI to build a version 1.0.
4. Test and refine with reprompts.
5. Publish to the app store.

Yes, yes this is indeed a sponsored post by Replit.

But I actually did build my own mobile app.

Check out version 1.0 of "Privacy Guard" a social media privacy audit to help you see exactly what sensitive information you're exposing publicly. 

The tool only analyzes publicly visible content.
It processes your data and discards it. 
Nothing is stored on servers. 

Want a free privacy audit of your social media accounts? 

Comment "𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗧" and I'll send you the link. 

--

Build your own mobile app on Replit here:
>> https://lnkd.in/dATV8HUV

I delete my posts, comments and likes every 6 weeks.
I have not shared a real selfie in almost 9 months. 
I am a combo between AI fanboy & doomer....

AI has made marketing a lot easier. 

You can generate posts, PDFs, scrape lists, build websites, create graphics, videos and even automate follow up, DMs and a plethora of other activities...

I know people will scream it's not quality.

Unfortunately in the last 2 months all of these activities have become elite thanks to AI agents and the frontier models pushing further and further...

But the reason AI is accelerating?

You all give your data away in exchange for convenance. 

Now we have skynet loading, meta glasses invading your privacy and Claude training it's AI to have its own "ethics"....

The doom is real. 
The boom is real too.

I don't have all the answers, perhaps that is why I am pretty quiet despite showing up and posting again.

All I can say is... If you still have your data sitting in Google (to be used by Gemini), your data sitting in whatsapp, facebook and instagram (to be used by Facebook) and your data sitting in ChatGPT (to be used by OpenAI)....

You should be concerned. 

These companies do not care about you. 
These companies do not value privacy. 

If I were you I'd clean up my data and figure out how to access AI in a more secure, private way....

Personally I am learning how to run AI locally AND I spent 3 months last summer deleting all my data from big tech and deleting my social media accounts.

I only use LinkedIn for business and Substack to write.

Anywhoodles I'll let you get back to the next post promising you riches if you learn AI. 

😆

These are the 13 commandments of organic reach.

(A mostly helpful guide to get u 200k followers)

It took me 6 years to hit 200,000 followers.

But you can do it in triple the time. 

Let's get started eh?

Blessed are the impressions, cz dopamine...
Blessed are the mid selfies, for they get the likes
Blessed are the live streams, for they reach no one
Blessed are the em-dash haters for they are correct
Blessed are the AI comments for they boost our stats
Blessed are the coaches, for they will take your moneys
Blessed are the engagement pods, for they kill your soul
Blessed are the "We hit 500k MRR posts" for they are tru
Blessed are the "how to" educational posts, for they zzzzz
Blessed are the "comment this" posts for they make us $$
Blessed are the memes for they help me show up........

All but half of these will get as much reach as we should all like, but less than half of you will use these methods as much as they deserve.

So you see...

Organic reach is fleeting.
Followers don't matter.

But ancient texts (and modern translations) live on forever.

PS Yeah there's only 11 commandments (sue me)

I teach the art of raw writing & the science of private AI.

"Safe" is the most dangerous place to be as a writer.

If nobody hates your words, nobody loves them either.

Share a take.
Make some enemies.

Say the thing you’re afraid to say.

PS I love playing the whats the worst thing that can happen game? Well in this case you could get reported and banned just like I have over 10 times. But the thought of a final ban is actually relieving to me. But maybe if it isn't to u think about all this and be careful okay..

Some people luv Netflix after work.
Some people r pumped for beach holidays..
Some people can't wait to trial a cluster of ai agents on a local machine via a fresh Linux install running LM studio n way too much vram....

Yeah I don't get out much.

But when I do its a hardware run somewhere warm with a side of pickleball. 

PS Any local ai nerds out here? 

(I was the last "some people" hehe)

Controversial events are a gift.

Yes Karen, ur ChatGPT cartoon of bad bunny, cultural reform, matcha tea n Diary of a CEO motivational quote shared via poorly promoted AI written slop is a gift.

Now I don't have to see u in my feed.

The unfollow button is a gift peasants!

PS Repost this for Lady Gaga cz I think her last good song was in 2012.

Controversial events are a gift.

Yes Steven, ur ChatGPT cartoon of Kid Rock, bible verses, coors light beer n inspirational quote of Steve Jobs shared via a poorly prompted AI written slop is a gift.

Now I don't have to see u in my feed.

The unfollow button is a gift my diverse friends!

PS Repost this & spread the message of unity to all!

#badbunny #2posts1hour

Richard Moore

I help consultants get clients on LinkedIn, using sales and content 🚀 Follow #RichTips for content

At some point it becomes obvious: your expertise isn’t the problem.
The real challenge is turning that expertise into consistent, high-value revenue.

Whether you lead a commercial team or run your own consultancy, gaining traction with potential clients on LinkedIn often feels harder than it should.

That’s where I come in.

I train leaders, consultants, and founders in the psychology of high-trust deal-making and sales. This helps individuals and teams move from interest to commitment without pressure or scripts.

My work blends behavioural psychology, strategic communication, and modern sales design.
More importantly, it comes from doing it:
22+ years of being a sales practitioner and $millions in converted deals.

Because theory is powerful
But you can't beat having done it too

Crucially, the help I give is for those who want to sell with nuance, credibility and long-term results.

Here’s what we focus on:
Strategic positioning: shaping how your expertise is perceived by buyers and decision-makers

Authority content: creating trust through clarity, not noise

Conversation design: turning dialogue into opportunity with structure and intent

Deal-flow mastery: applying timing, buyer psychology, and decision dynamics to close complex deals

I’ve worked with organisations from Microsoft and LinkedIn, to JP Morgan and Deloitte
Beyond this I've also coached thousands of consultants, coaches and founders

All of them have had the focus on refining how they sell and how they communicate

As a 2x LinkedIn Top Voice and LinkedIn Learning Instructor with five courses on sales and communication, studied by tens of thousands of professionals worldwide, I'm asked to work with professionals on their delivery, awareness of buyer state and the words that move a buyer to step forward. 

My communities, the LinkedIn Client Accelerator and Art of Sell, bring together over 500 members focused on mastering client acquisition and high-trust sales.

In the offline world I founded Entrepreneur Business Live, a global event series connecting business leaders to support local causes and I’ve delivered keynotes and lectures at Oxford University, Warwick Business School, University of Edinburgh, Nottingham, Pearson Business School and many more.

If you want to elevate how you or your team win clients, with more trust, depth, and commercial precision, this is where we start.

DM me here on LinkedIn
Or email directly richard@therichardmoore.com
Or check out the featured links on this profile for more

Follow #RichTips for insights on high-trust deal-making and sales

Founder - LinkedIn Client Accelerator

3 years ago, I walked away from being "a LinkedIn guy"

I'd built a solid reputation as a LinkedIn trainer
But I didn't want to be known for a platform

I wanted to be known for a result

So I made a conscious choice:
↳ I was going to own one word
↳ Conversion

Look, everyone's trying to own "sales" and it's impossible

It's too big
It can be so many different things

Owning one word? Now we're talking.

But if you're going to own a word, you need the discipline to use it

(A fun fact about me? My tolerance for boredom, repetition and saying no to shiny objects is very high)

So whilst I do use "sales" sometimes, where possible, I use "conversion" instead of closing or selling.

You'll see it everywhere:

↳ In my posts
↳ In all my workshops
↳ Even in how I describe what I do

It's almost irritating.

But I've built my reputation brick by brick over many years. Because when someone thinks "conversion," I want them to think of me:

↳ The guy who teaches LinkedIn? That wasn't it
↳ Another sales trainer? Too broad
↳ Conversion? Richard

And that goal continues every day.

So if you want to build a reputation that actually converts:

↳ Pick one word that represents the transformation you create
↳ Then use it relentlessly until people can't think of that word without thinking of you

That's how you claim your corner on the internet.

What word are you trying to be known for?

---
PS Okay, you've owned your word. What now? Now you need to write content around it that actually converts.
Click "visit my website" at the top of this post to learn how to do that.

#RichTips

I train founders in the psychology of high-trust deal-making and sales | Creator, Art of Sell | 3× LinkedIn Top Voice | 5 x LinkedIn Learning Instructor

Richard Moore as a panellist at The Value Exchange London

Let's address an absurd nobility on LinkedIn:

It's not the "classy" move many claim it to be

People act like waiting is integrity
Like reaching out is beneath them
Like the best professionals shouldn't have to ask

Let's be more honest:
you're terrified of being "that person"

↳ The one who follows up too soon
↳ The one sliding into DMs with a pitch
↳ The needy one who can't take a hint

So you wait

You tell yourself you're being respectful
Strategic
Or even that you're playing the long game

Except,

what you're really doing is hoping they'll come to you so you don't have to feel uncomfortable.

You've dressed up your fear as standards
Convinced yourself that silence is sophistication

And while you're sitting there being noble about it,
someone else just reached out.

- They asked
- They got the meeting
- They're eating your breakfast

There are no medals given for sitting back. 
No one hands out prizes for being too polite to make a move.

The people closing deals know this
they ask because:

↳ they know permission isn't coming
↳ and the door doesn't open itself

Have you been avoiding reaching out because some "experts" told you it's the classy thing to do?

Fortune favours the action takers

---
PS The best deals close because someone wasn't too noble to start the conversation.

But what's the next step after reaching out?
Click my first featured link here → Richard Moore to see how I convert on the first call.

#RichTips

Richard Moore hosting his Entrepreneur Business Live London charity networking event

In 22+ years, I've never met a "natural salesperson"

They don't exist

What people call "natural" is just someone who's given themselves permission to occupy the role.

The awkwardness you feel in a sales call?
↳ That's a positioning problem in your head
↳ Often mistaken for "personality"

It comes from a place of thinking you think you need to be an expert before you can sell.

But "expert" is a subjective term

The person who buys from you isn't comparing you to the world's best. They're comparing you to where they are right now.

To someone who knows less than you,
↳ you already ARE the expert

Sales is a learnable skill with specific techniques

↳ So if you learn the process
↳ Earn the right to prescribe through proper discovery
↳ Build demonstrable ability and credibility

And give yourself the permission to show up as the expert you already are, the awkwardness will slowly disappear

I promise.

How long are you willing to let someone else's definition of "expert" keep you from the deals?

---
PS The awkwardness is expensive while it lasts!

I've created 4 free videos walking you through the exact process I use to convert on the first call. 
Click the first featured link here → Richard Moore to get your access

#RichTips

In 2003, I was making 100 calls a day
In 2026, I'm teaching AoS members to close on the first call

Back when I was making 100 calls a day,

I became obsessed with understanding why people said yes or no. What was actually going on in their head when they made a decision?

(Standing at your desk all day with your phone in your hand, dialling numbers and getting hung up on constantly, will do that to you)

And sure, times are different now

- But buyers haven't changed
- The psychology hasn't changed
- Only the platforms have

In the 22+ years of watching people buy,
here's what I know:

They don't buy because of your offer, 
your price or 
even your expertise

They buy when uncertainty drops low enough for them to feel safe saying yes

That's the whole game.

Sony. Deloitte. Microsoft. LinkedIn. BP. Notion. S&P Capital IQ. Vodafone. IATA. JP Morgan. Thales. GSK. Siemens. BAE Systems. Audible...

The list of deals goes on. 
But the truth is the same:

↳ Uncertainty about you = they stall
↳ Uncertainty about the outcome = they ask for a proposal
↳ Uncertainty about themselves = the infamous "let me think about it"

And most of what's taught out there treats these 3 as the same problem,
but each one needs a completely different response

So here's some clarity for you

If they're uncertain about you:
↳ That's a positioning and authority issue
↳ No amount of explaining your offer will fix it
↳ You fix it before the call even starts

If they're uncertain about the outcome:
↳ That's a clarity issue
↳ You're overcomplicating what happens after they say yes.
↳ Simplify the path

If they're uncertain about themselves:
↳ That's the one most people miss entirely
↳ That's the buyer asking "am I the kind of person who invests in this?"
↳ And you can't logic your way through that. You have to make them feel like they belong in the room

The only psychology in sales that works is:

↳ reducing uncertainty
↳ increasing safety and
↳ helping someone think clearly enough to make a decision they already want to make.

That's what I learnt standing at that desk in 2003
And it's what I'm still teaching now

What's the uncertainty your buyers struggle with most?

--
I train founders, consultants and coaches in the psychology of high-trust deal-making and sales. 
Have a look in my featured links here for more → Richard Moore

#RichTips

"$30k is nothing, isn't it Richard?", he said
(I recently heard this in a voicenote)

Wow.
Perspectives really can change.

Is there a lesson here? You bet.
Let's look at what he did:

This client (we'll call him Lloyd) was on course to do $200k of sales by the end of the quarter. 

He needed $30k the month to get there. 

When we first started together, the thought of even $10k a month was a dream. 

Now he's averaging over $30k a month. 

So how did he move from "I could never" to "it's nothing"?

It's this simple formula:
Reps x Frequency = Naturalisation

So,
↳ Getting a volume of deals
↳ And getting them frequently
↳ Builds you a new "normal"

First, the offer:
- Clearly explained
- Simply constructed
- With a compelling transformation

These 3 elements are essential for a buyer

Second, the focus is sales:
He's a solopreneur like most of you
That means he may have a talent but sales is his main job
(Believe me, if you don't see it that way, its the shift you need)

Third, we used a "crescendo":
A crescendo is a "progressive increase of intensity"
So, the first deals were small, to get confidence
Then, the price raised every x number of deals

Throw in his three best attributes:
- Grit (I promise he wants it more than anyone!)
- Discipline (he has a schedule and sticks to it)
- Humility (when he's in his head, he tells me)

And you've got an evolution
(because it'll never be overnight, people!)
to "$30k is nothing, isn't it Richard?"

That perspective shift is EARNED
This has been his roadmap
And if you want it enough, it can be yours

Work on your "normal"
Because it can always be evolved.

Have you?

--
PS The best deals close because someone like Lloyd wasn't too proud to start the conversation.
But where do you learn how to get that right?
Click "Visit my Website" at the top of this post and see

#RichTips

Buyers are the most open at one part of every sales call

Miss it,
and you're fighting resistance for the rest of the conversation

Look, you can nail your intro

You can handle objections perfectly

But if you ask your diagnostic questions at the wrong time, you've lost them:
↳ Too early = no context. They don't trust you yet
↳ Too late = they've already formed resistance

The middle is where decisions actually happen

That's when you interrupt them
(with intention):

"Wait. This sounds like quite a big deal. Tell me why"

And here's the fun bit.
When you say this:
- They stop selling you on the problem
- They start selling themselves on the solution

Right? Because the moment you ask someone to articulate why something matters
↳ They're no longer answering you
↳ They're convincing themselves

When a buyer explains it out loud, they're starting to build the case. 

The urgency becomes real to them in a way it wasn't before.

Your job now is to stop talking!
And let them finish processing their own logic.

Always remember, the most persuasive voice on the planet is your prospect's own:
- When they say it, they believe it
- When you say it, that's where resistance can start

So you're not closing at the end,
You're priming them emotionally in the middle so the close feela inevitable

Where are you losing them?

Too early, too late, or right in that middle window?

--
PS I talk in detail about on the psychology of priming buyers emotionally so the close
becomes inevitable inside Art of Sell 
Click "Visit my Website" at the top of this post.

#RichTips

Richard Moore coaching conversion technique at Digital Design Days Milan, 2019

"Build it and they will come" is not good advice
(and the reason really is obvious):

It is the king of bad advice because it's both
- Passive
- Entitled 

So you worked hard
So you made a great offer
So you think people will like it

That doesn't mean they'll buy

Does it make you cry baby sad tears because "it's not fair"?

Welcome to business, friend
Where you EARN your results.

Entitlement is poison

So, instead of waiting we need to do 4 things:

1. Before it's built, go tell people
↳ Warm the audience - work with them to ideate

2. When you're building go tell people
↳ Share the climb. They'll find it fascinating to watch

3. When it's built, go tell people
↳ Showtime! Go harvest those that supported you

4. When people have bought it, go tell people
↳ You're not done yet! Leverage the buyers to get more

See the common theme?

Proactivity. 

So instead of "build it and they will come"
its
"Build it, tell people, nurture them, present an offer, add more touch points, present another offer and even when they come, make sure you actually take the order"

Which of the four could you do more of?

--
📌Pro tip: When do you actually start selling? 
At stage #1
You can't beat "pre sales" with an incentive to join you early
Because getting paid while you're building is way better than after.
➡️DM me and ask how I did it.

#RichTips

"If prospects don't post or comment on LinkedIn, how do I approach them?"

This question has been a theme inside my Art of Sell community.

Look, most prospects belong to the silent community
They see your posts but they don't engage publicly

Which means you need to go to the DMs

But respectfully.

Your ONLY goal with DMs is to get a response. That's it.

You haven't earned the right to ask "what's your biggest challenge?" yet. (Yes, it's 2026 and people still send me that cringe question)

So what actually works?
↳ Show them you understand their world
↳ Don't ask about it

Back in the day, we built a business in the city by sending DMs to people on LinkedIn who weren't "active".

But oh, they were watching!

My approach was to demonstrate that I know my thing.
That caught their eye.

How?
Most LinkedIn advice tells you to lead with curiosity
In fact, you need to lead with insight
("out of curiosity, what's your Q1 goal" sound familiar?)

We need to say something specific to prove we've done our homework rather than getting a "here we go again" reaction

The best DMs feel like the start of a chat.

I've done this enough times to recognise that exact moment when you're staring at a prospect's profile thinking "what do I even say?"

That's when most people either overthink it or default to the same tired template everyone else uses.

So, what do you do instead?

↳ Show you understand their world first
↳ And say something human

Have you been leading with insight or curiosity so far?

---
PS and when they're interested, how do you get them to close on the first call?
I've made 4 x free videos for you explaining exactly how, right here: https://lnkd.in/e_7JBt3b

#RichTips

Hello from Bratislava!

I'm boarding my flight after a fantastic 2 day Infestival conference and the idea of an "attention recession" has been on my mind lately. 

So this latest Art of Sell newsletter introduces my "Decision Compression Model" as a rethink on how to navigate the truth that buyers have an overload of information to navigate.

Thank you to the 18,000+ subscribers of this weekly newsletter. I truly appreciate your feedback on these articles. 

And to everyone that attended Infestival this week, dakujem! More on the event very soon in my write up.

Richard

--
#RichTips

For most of the past decade, social selling advice has revolved around a simple thesis: be visible, add value, build familiarity and inevitable trust 

Open article: #9: The Attention Recession in Social Selling by Richard Moore • 8 min read

#9: The Attention Recession in Social Selling

You can’t scale your leadership without scaling trust.

At small scale, people know you. They see you. They understand how you think.

But at a larger scale, that can all disappear.

At that level, people start to interpret you from a distance:
- Through your decisions
- Through your communication
- Through your consistency

And if trust isn’t there, all your results can start to slow down

This Friday I’ll be live with Simone Schiassi, a former Google Global Director, to talk about how trust is actually built and maintained as you grow into more senior leadership roles.

We’ll be sharing practical experiences from inside complex organisations and answering your questions live.

Friday 27 February
UK: 2pm to 3pm
ET: 9am to 10am

If you lead a team, or plan to, join us live.
And let us know below: what questions do you have for the live stream?

--

#RichTips

Marco Zima Simonella, Jeff Abracen and 1 other connection attending

Wow - almost 18.5k of you are subscribed to this newsletter now.
Thank you.

This week, one news story stood out on LinkedIn News 

Standing far above other stories in volume of readers was the recent data showing 5.2% unemployment in the UK. 

And, while this has an effect on employers and employees alike. Beyond all the job market commentary, I believe this represents a shift in the market that affects buyer behaviour too. 

Thank you as always for reading these each week. I really enjoy producing them.

Looking at the analytics, it's wonderful to see that thousands of you tune in within the first 24 hours to read. 

And to those that share their opinions in the comments and in my DMs, thank you. I always welcome the dialogue.

Have a fantastic end to your week,
Richard

--
PS a free gift for any founders / those of you in sales at the bottom of this week's newsletter :)

#RichTips #newsletter #jobs

Weak economies do not punish everyone equally. But they do expose previously hidden differences. UK unemployment has risen to 5.2%, the highest level 

Open article: #10: The End of Average Salespeople by Richard Moore • 7 min read

Often, B2B deals don’t stall because the buyer lost interest.

There's much more going on here. 

They stall because there's a misalignment with the organisation.

You have a great call. They see the value. They agree. Then the deal disappears into “I need to run this internally.”

What’s happening is simple. You spoke to a person, but the decision lives inside a system.

In this week’s newsletter, I break down what I call Stakeholder Physics. 

I also examine the four main roles present in most decisions, and how to manage alignment so deals actually move.

Thank you to the 18.5k subscribers reading these each week. It is all my pleasure to produce them. 

As always, do consider sharing, saving and adding your opinion or reaction in the comments. 

--
Coming soon is an article on agentic AI in selling, with some very special guests contributing! Make sure you're subscribed.

#RichTips

Why individual buy-in creates momentum but group alignment determines whether a deal actually closes. There is a moment in sales that can create false

Open article: #11: Stakeholder Physics: Why Deals Stall Even When Individuals Agree by Richard Moore • 8 min read

#11: Stakeholder Physics: Why Deals Stall Even When Individuals Agree

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Luke Matthews's LinkedIn Performance

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