Keynote Speaker on Sales, Marketing, and Building Trust...Author of They Ask You Answer...Ranked #1 LinkedIn Voices for Entrepreneurship...and a Dang Good Follow on LinkedIn

Called a “web marketing guru” by the New York Times, the Story of how Marcus Sheridan was able to save his swimming pool company, River Pools, from the economic crash of 2008 has been featured in multiple books, publications, and stories around the world and is the centerpiece to his best-selling book, They Ask You Answer, which has been named “One of the 5 Best Marketing Books of All Time” by BookAuthority and his follow up book, Endless Customers, was named a National Bestseller by USA Today.

Sheridan is a highly sought-after global speaker (averaging 50 keynotes yearly) in the digital sales and marketing space, working with hundreds of businesses and brands alike to achieve their potential in a rapidly evolving marketplace, ultimately helping them to connect deeper and become the most trusted voice in their respective industry.

Companies Marcus is a Part of: IMPACT, River Pools, Marcus Sheridan International, Question First Group, PriceGuide.ai

Keynote topics include:  Sales, Marketing, AI, Leadership Communication

Marcus Sheridan

First speaking trip of the year is in the books, and I already had a massive “W” by taking my wife and two youngest on the trip to speak in St. Pete to the Table of Titans Mastermind, put on by Tony Hoty.

There is just something so magical about showing your children what the world looks like out there.  And the fact that they’ve been accompanying me on these trips for 15 years now is one of the greatest joys of my life. ❤️

One of the most engaging keynote speakers on the planet—I create experiences that change how businesses sell, connect, and win | Author of Endless Customers and They Ask, You Answer | Entrepreneur | Master Storyteller

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Dear Marketers, 

Put the answer first.
Put the answer first.
Put the answer first.

Sincerely,

Humans & Answer Engines (ChatGPT, Claude, Etc.)

-------

(In other words, stop burying the lead with your content. If you want impatient humans to stick around, put the main answer FIRST. If you want your content to be found in the AI summary, put the main answer FIRST. And if you want LLMs to consistently source you, recommend you, etc. - put the main answer FIRST. I know for the last 20 years content marketing had lovely intros, build up, and lead-ins before giving the actual answer to the core question of the post, but that needs to stop. Yes, it's a total rethink of the way you write, but that's where we are, and that's what you now need to do.)

And here we go 2026! Off to the first gig of the year, and I have to tell you - I'm just as excited to start year 15 of speaking full-time as I was when this journey began in 2011. Why?

Because I'm doing what I feel like I was put on Earth to do.

And one of these days, when I'm able to meet my Maker, it's my hope He is pleased with my efforts. 

Of course, I have a long ways to go, and I fall short often, but the fire to be better (personally and professionally) burns brighter than ever.

So here's to you making 2026 an extraordinary year, and hopefully, if you're reading this, we'll cross paths in real life soon.

Let's do this. 🤜 🤛

Two things are becoming crystal clear to me when it comes to AI in business:

👉 #1: Stop marrying yourself to any single AI platform.

I don't care if it's ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.

The market is moving too fast. I'm watching ChatGPT lose ground to competitors that are flat-out better right now. And honestly? I have no idea who the "Google of AI" is going to be.

So stay flexible, friends. The leader today might not be the leader tomorrow.

👉 #2 And this is the bigger one...Stop saying "AI sucks at..."

Just last month, University of Michigan researchers released an AI model that can diagnose a complex heart condition from a 10-second EKG.

This same condition used to require advanced imaging equipment or invasive procedures.

10 seconds. Incredible.

Here's my point:

The moment you cement your opinion about what AI can't do, you've entered a very slippery, unproductive slope.

Why? Because by the time AI masters that thing you said it couldn't, you (or your business) will have moved on - completely missing the opportunity.

This is why, if you're not careful, your business systems, workflows, and very assumptions as to what is possible can easily become outdated faster than we've ever seen. 

So here's what I'm asking you to do:

Have short memories when it comes to AI capabilities.

Stay skeptical of permanence.

And stay open to what's next.

Agree? Disagree? What say you?

My commercial fishing company did something online that has never been done before a few days ago, and the story is a wild one. Here's what went down:

During commercial bluefin tuna season (which happens to be right now) we (Speechless Sportfishing) go LIVE on Facebook whenever we hook up with a fish.

This means viewers get to see EVERYTHING - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Our successes, our failures - all of it.

Well, a few days ago with hooked up with the biggest tuna fish of our lifetime (not an exaggeration), and we fought it LIVE on Facebook for 8.5 hours (see photo below).

That's right, 8.5 hours, with many viewers watching the ENTIRE experience.

By the end, as the fish finally crested the surface of the water and we were just about to bring it in the boat, over 1,100 devices were watching the event LIVE. 

Many people said they were watching with their entire family or friend group, cheering us on.

My best estimate is about 2,500 people were enthralled with this epic battle.

It was a magical experience...until at the last second, when the line snapped just before we were to land the fish.

Absolute, total heartbreak.

Yes, it's the ultimate story of "the one that got away."

Here's the beauty though - Yes, we lost the fish.

But we gained legions of fans in the process, with hundreds of "keep your heads up" and "you guys were amazing" messages flooding our inboxes.

And let me repeat - Many of these people watched THE ENTIRE 8.5 HOURS.

We always hear that no one these days has the attention span to consume long-form content.

Well, I'm here to tell you this is simply not true.

People, more than ever, will watch and consume your content...but only if they have a REASON to stay.

And why did these viewers stay? Why did the numbers grow throughout the day?

It comes back to AUTHENTICITY my friends.

A real boat, with real crew and a real monster fish...with real heartbreak to top it all off.

All of this led to thousands of people being *emotionally invested* in the outcome at the end.

My point here is simple:

Show what others in your space are not willing to show.

Be more authentic than others are willing to be.

Let them fall in love with your imperfections.

By so doing, you may not always catch the biggest fish, but you will gain fans and customers for life.

And that, my friends, is what it's all about.

😀 🎣 🐟

Dear Sales Professional,

If you would like to lose a ton of deals you should have closed, keep attempting to resolve concerns over text messages instead of calling the person directly and having a real conversion.

Sincerely,

A Friend Who Wants You to Hit Quota

🙂

Life Tip (that took me years to learn): 

If you don't know *why* you’ve been invited to a meeting, don't go.

Let's translate the "why":

👉 "To hear updates" ...That's an email.
👉 "To give input" ...That's a shared doc.
👉 "To be in the loop" ...That's a CC.

Are you picking up what I'm putting down?

Your calendar is NOT a public park. It’s private property.

Protect your time. Protect your energy. Protect your sanity.

My team and I have reviewed over 1,000 sales conversations over the last year and one thing has become very, very clear:

👉 Companies over over-indexing on "product training" and grossly under-indexing on "people" training.

It's wild to watch it over and over again, but let me give you two classic examples:

A SaaS company has someone in engineer deliver a demo who is technically 100X smarter than any potential client about the product's ins and outs yet has zero ability to ask thoughtful discovery questions, build rapport, and create an excitement and energy for the product.

Another example:

A manufacturer does a two-day training with their dealer reps and 100% of the conversation is about product knowledge and competitor comparison, with 0% spent on helping the reps learn to ask better questions, make deeper connections, and be truly LOVED by the prospect.

Do you see the issue here?

Yes, product knowledge is very, very important, especially as consumers and buyers are becoming more and more informed.

But when sales training becomes all about the product and not about the power of human connection, it loses its soul, which ultimately kills the sale and stagnates the entire organization. 

Balance my friends, balance.

Important Reminder for All Marketers: 👇 

Yesterday I was chatting with a client (boat retailer) that told me they wanted to focus more on their LinkedIn efforts.

My response: Why would you put your energy on a B2B platform when you're selling high end boats to consumers?

Their answer? "Because some of our potential customers may be there."

Here's the thing. Sure, they *may* get a few leads on LinkedIn but there are MANY other platforms that would be a better use of their time and produce a stronger ROI (as a B2C company).

Here's what we have to remember:

👉 1. Just because a platform *might* generate you leads doesn't mean you *should* focus on that platform.

👉 2. You're better off being GREAT on one platform than being incredibly average on multiple platforms.

👉 3. And finally, every minute you spend on one platform is another minute you won't spend on another. 

Focus, friends, focus.

A business owner told me this week, "Yep, we're ranking well in ChatGPT. I've run a bunch of tests."

My response was not what he wanted to hear. I said:

"Well, the truth is, ranking doesn't even exist with ChatGPT.  Furthermore, you're looking at biased results anyway, only made for you. The rest of the world is seeing something very different."

He was shocked and disappointed. 

This, of course, is because he (and so many others) are still treating AI-Visibility like Legacy Google - linear/binary thinking - "Do I rank or do I not?" - and not understanding that the days of "ranking" are coming to an end (outside of legacy Google).

Remember:
LLMs do NOT give set answers.
There is no “page one.”
There is no universal result everyone sees.

Every response is shaped by:
👉 the individual user
👉 the specific LLM
👉 context, history, inputs
👉 and countless other variables

So can you *roughly* test how likely AI is to recommend you?

Yes...to a degree.

But only if you disable saved memories (like I’ve shown here). That’s the only way to get closer to an “unbiased” view of what others might see.

Even then, it’s still just one possible outcome among many.

That’s the shift my friends. 

So stop obsessing over “ranking.”
And start obsessing over trust and authority.

The sooner we let go of the old mental model, the better we’ll all perform in the new one.

How to Learn Your AI Visibility without Bias

I just walked off the keynote stage for the JobTread Software Connect Conference and my goodness that was fun! 1400 leaders in the trades coming together to improve their businesses and raise the bar for the entire industry.  

So much of the credit goes to the amazing guy standing next to me here, their CEO and Founder Eric Fortenberry. This is a man of the highest integrity and vision, who truly wants blue collar businesses to succeed.  

What an honor it was to be a part of the movement!! 😃

Tomorrow I'm doing something I've never done before:

Putting on a FREE, 90 Minute Sales Kickoff (SKO) for ANYONE that wants to dramatically improve their sales skills and mindset for 2026 - B2B, B2C, sales leaders, soloists, this is for you.

Even better, there will be no "pitch", no "offer", and no "first 100 people that sign up for X" to have to listen to at the end.

Just the best sales class you've probably experienced in a long time. (Yes, I'm serious, which is why it's called a "Level 5" SKO.)

That's my personal promise.

The plan is to do this at the beginning of every year for the foreseeable future for any person or organization that wants to attend. 

Your job is simply to show up with an open heart and open mind. 

You'll also get a powerful workbook to follow along, 2 free sales tools that I've developed, the Level 5 SKO Checklist, and more. (see the link in the comments)

Sound awesome? Well, it will be, and I hope to see you (or your team) there. 

Again, whether you're B2B, B2C, a manager, a soloist, etc...whatever you call yourself, you'll walk away with a plan, action items, and immediate takeaways.

Simply put, you will be better at your job and you will SELL MORE in 2026 by attending.

Link is in the comments below.

I hope to see you there. 😀

The 3 Hardest Skills to Teach in Sales (From 2,000+ Hours of Coaching) 👇 

After two decades in the trenches and thousands of hours coaching sales professionals, I’ve realized that the "mechanics" of sales are (with the right coaching) easy. It’s the *psychology* that’s difficult.

If I had to rank the three hardest skills to instill in a seller, they would be:

👉 1. The Audacity to Walk Away
Most sellers operate from a place of scarcity, not abundance. Their internal dialogue is: "I have to close this." The problem, of course, is that this creates a sense of desperation on the part of the seller. It manifests as pressure, which crushes their authority and plants seeds of doubt in the buyer’s mind. Turning "walking away" into a superpower is the hardest thing to teach because it isn't a tactic. Instead, it's 100% mindset. It requires the confidence to realize that you're not a fit for everyone...and that's a good thing.

👉 2. Radical Situational Fluency
Average sellers have a "mode." Great sellers have a "dial." Stay with me here, because this one really matters. They don't just bring high energy, they bring the *right* energy. They can read a room in seconds and adjust their presence (turning it up to inspire or dialing it back to build empathy) without it ever feeling inauthentic. This requires an extreme level of presence and situational awareness that most people simply haven't developed and is VERY hard to coach.

👉 3. "Straight-Line" Inquiry
Anyone can ask discovery questions. Very few can ask the one question that cuts through the noise and hits the core of the issue instantly. Asking questions in a straight line means removing the fluff and having the courage to take a buyer where they haven’t gone before. It’s about making them think in ways they haven't yet considered. This skill only comes after years of reps and a refusal to settle for surface-level answers (see skill #1).

These are the skills that move the needle the most, yet they are the rarest to find. In fact, think about your sales team for a minute. How many truly have all three of these? If more than 10% of your team have these skills, you can consider yourself world-class. They are that rare.

I’m curious, for those of you in the sales arena: Do you agree or disagree with these three? Any you'd add to the list? Fee free to share your honest thoughts below. 👇

Most enterprise deals die because the buyer can’t defend the buying decision internally.

If your buyer can’t:
•	repeat your value clearly
•	explain why this matters now
•	justify the spend to a skeptic
then the deal stalls.

That’s not a sales issue.
You didn't manage the narrative.
________________________________________
WHAT I DO
I run Narrative installs for FinTech and B2B companies where deals slow after initial traction.
This is a fixed-scope intervention focused on one thing:
installing a revenue-driven narrative your buyers can understand, defend, and repeat internally.

I don’t coach teams.
I don’t teach frameworks.
I don’t run workshops.

I diagnose where your buyer’s internal decision-story breaks.
And I rebuild it so it holds up under scrutiny.
________________________________________
WHAT YOU GET
•	a single authority sentence your company can use consistently
•	a clear decision-narrative your buyers can forward internally
•	language that neutralizes “we’ll think about it” (without persuasion)
•	shorter, cleaner sales conversations

Fewer words.
Less drift.
Faster decisions.
________________________________________
WHO THIS IS FOR
•	Founder-led FinTechs and complex B2B companies
•	Enterprise or mid-market deals with real internal scrutiny
•	Teams where sales conversations go well...then stall

You already have demand.
You just can’t convert it cleanly.
________________________________________
WHO THIS IS NOT FOR
•	Early-stage founders testing offers
•	Sales enablement or training 
•	Anyone looking for tactics or scripts
•	Situations where pricing or execution is the real problem

When your narrative works, sales close quickly.
When it doesn’t, no amount of activity fixes this.
________________________________________
HOW I WORK
•	Fixed scope
•	Short turnaround
•	No iteration
•	No ongoing access

I only take a small number of engagements per month.
If your deals just aren't closing, I run a private diagnostic to determine whether it’s structural or situational.

If this isn't a problem you face, no need to reach out.

Marc  C. Angelos

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗙 “𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙎𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝘽𝙍𝘼𝙉𝘿”

There are two very different games people call “𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.”
Most confuse them.
TBH, it's taken me 6 years into running my own firm to grasp this.

Here's the difference:

𝟭) 𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘-𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗗
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭.

It’s built on:
 • Reach
 • Algorithms
 • Frequency
 • Parasocial attention
It lives in feeds.
And it requires constant output to survive.


𝟮) 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬-𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗗 
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴.

It’s built on:
 • Depth of thinking
 • Clear judgment
 • Personal referrals
 • Ideas that travel room to room
It lives in conversations, not content calendars.

Most people only see #1 because it’s more visible.
But #2 is how 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 deals get done.

I’ve lived in both worlds.
30 years in Fintech -- 6 years as a "founder" on these platforms.

Wall Street ran entirely on #2.
You lived and died by personal reputation, judgment, and trust.
Meanwhile, these digital platforms reward #1.

Having lived both worlds, I can say that neither is “better.”
But they have different economics.
Different rules.
Different causes of failure.

The problem I see is that most founders unknowingly mix them.
This is why SO many biz owners complain that they post consistently and get attention....yet still struggle to close deals.

So here's the key to remember:

AUDIENCE-based brand = 𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘮𝘪𝘤 leverage.
AUTHORITY-based brand = 𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 leverage.

Know which game you’re playing.
Because authority doesn’t scale the same way attention does.

Sales narrative for FinTech | Messaging that closes deals | 3 decades Fintech sales | Anvictus.com

Everyone has content.
Everyone has a framework.
Everyone has a “message.”

So what’s broken in sales?

The wrong people still show up.
That is the disease.
Everything else is a symptom.

Buyers have grown skeptical. 
Because they are wise now.
They arrive curious...but usually under-informed.
And often unqualified

However, that is not really a sales problem.
It's a failure of your messaging architecture.

To grow your revenue in 2026, start helping buyers decide BEFORE the call.
Before they ever even speak with you.
Because if a buyer needs you to explain what you do....your message has already failed.

I'm here in the trenches with all of you.
I see all the programs, trainings and "irresistible offers" flooding the digital space.

But we are no longer in the 2021 goldrush.
People don't need to be taught:
• how to sell
• how to write
• Or how to post

A.I. can do all that FOR you.
And it should.

You know what you actually need?

You need that first call to start halfway down the sales process.

You need as many sales objections as possible to be neutralized before that first contact.

You need them to show up...basically already sold.

Your teal goal is to avoid the tire-kickers. Not to persuade. 

You want to move the. from interest without buying intent.....
to sales discussions that progress naturally….with ZERO pressure!

Sales is evolving now.
Put simply, the conversation must now start further downstream.

THAT is the transformation I am focusing on amidst the AI slop.

As someone who has sold at a very high-level for many decades in Finance, I'm telling you that THIS will determine “sales success” in 2026.

And IMHO, this approach will be how you separate yourself from all the Clawdbot-driven pitching-diguised-as-networking

Because the 3C's of courses, coaching and community aren't cutting it anymore.

People want hand-holding and guidance. They want a real interactive exerience.

Not AI "personalization" that really just hidden automated outreach.

Because like it or not, THAT'S what's coming to the sales world.

In the end, REAL business...is about loyalty and repeat-revenue.
Focus on building THAT.
And you won't have to worry about chasing, pressuring and convincing.

undefined undefined

Metaverse and NFTs for Marketing

Content Marketing: Podcasting for Business

Content Marketing for Social Media

Building an Integrated Online Marketing Plan

Content Marketing

Virtual Selling for Sales Professionals

B2B Marketing on LinkedIn

Blogging for Your Business

Business Storytelling 

Digital Strategy

LinkedIn Video Marketing for Personal and Brand Pages

Marketing Copy

Marketing Tools: Social Media

Social Media Marketing for Small Business

Social Media Marketing: Real Estate

Social Media Monitoring: Strategies and Skills

Video Strategies for High Engagement

Content Marketing Foundations

Online Marketing Foundations

Social Media Marketing Foundations

Content Strategy & Training | 3 decades sales | 5 year Entrepreneur |  Podcast Host | Speaker

HELPING ENTREPRENEURS STAND OUT & SELL WITH CONFIDENCE

I bring over 30 years of experience as a Wall Street Sales Leader.
There I led teams, closed multi-million-dollar deals, and mastered the art of relationship-driven sales.

After leaving Wall Street, I launched a content marketing firm.
For 5 years, I:
✅ Ghostwrote longform & LinkedIn content for Fortune 500 CEOs and C-suite executives.
✅ Built the personal brands of dozens of Wall Street leaders and their executive coaches.
✅ Developed LinkedIn strategies that helped create 3 best-selling business authors.

Now I help entrepreneurs.
I combine sales mastery with content strategy to help Creators, Solopreneurs, and Small Business Owners:
🎯 Build influence with powerful personal brands.
💡 Master sales techniques to attract and close more clients.

I’ve personally:
✔️ Trained over 300 small business owners in sales and marketing.
✔️ Run sales teams for leading content entrepreneurs like Joe Pulizzi.
✔️ Spoken on live stages, including Creator Economy Expo, to teach entrepreneurs how to thrive in the digital age.

WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT?
Modern business struggles with two major gaps:
1️⃣ Business leaders who don’t understand content strategy.
2️⃣ Content creators who don’t understand business fundamentals.

My expertise spans both landscapes—from finance, sales, and tech to content, entrepreneurship, and strategy. This unique blend allows me to help entrepreneurs like you stand out, sell confidently, and grow your business.

HOW I CAN HELP YOU
Whether you need:
•	Content strategy to amplify your brand,
•	Sales training to close more deals, or
•	A comprehensive approach to social selling and business development,
I’ll help you achieve clarity and get results.
________________________________________

Let’s Connect!
Looking for consultations, speaking engagements, or collaborations? 
Send me a message—I’d love to help you grow your influence and your income!

Actionable insights to help entrepreneurs 
 - stand out
 - attract clients and
 - sell with confidence

Every Saturday

Category of ONE Newsletter

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

It’s not because the offer is weak.
And it’s not because the buyer doesn’t understand.

Most deals stall because the buyer can’t repeat the logic internally.

They leave the call thinking:
“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦.”

Then someone else asks:
“𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?”
“𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸?”
“𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮?”

And the deal quietly dies.

That’s not a trust problem.
It’s not a pricing problem.
And it’s definitely not a content problem.

𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢.

If your message doesn’t give buyers:
 - language they can reuse
 - logic they can defend
 - framing that survives skepticism
they won’t champion you...even if they like you.

This is the gap I fix.

Not with coaching.
Not with content calendars.
But with a short, focused 𝙈𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡 that rebuilds the narrative buyers actually use.

If this feels uncomfortably familiar,
you’re probably already dealing with it.

You don’t need to be known to be successful.
You need to be TRUSTED by the right 10 people.

I've been in high-trust sales (FinTech) for 3 decades.
Here's the TLDR:
Real business has ALWAYS been about REAL relationships.
Trust is REQUIRED to make a sale of any significant sum.

I find it hilarious that this approach is suddenly some new "strategy."
Guru's are "discovering" this go-to move to battle AI slop. 
Meanwhile, Dale Carnegie is rolling over in his grave.

Newsflash: 
where trust goes...money flows.

The rise of the Internet didn't change that.
AI slop doesn't change that.
Nothing ever will.

So for those who don't know how to build trusted relationships... 
it's time to learn. 

This starts with the story you tell.
It's time to nail your narrative.

Apparently, I am one of the top users of ChatGPT in the world. 😳
Didn’t realize this until their year-end recap popped up.

But this doesn’t make me smarter than anyone else.
(𝘐𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦....)

For context, I've been using ChatGPT since November 30, 2022.
(𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘺 1.) And here is what I have learned:
The biggest failure of most business leaders isn’t their prompting.
It’s that 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮.

Because ChatGPT is an X-ray machine.
It instantly reveals who already knows how to think.
The winners don’t have better AI skills.....t𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨.

And this applies to your business.
Specifically, to your messaging.

Because clarity compounds.
 - Clarity of thought.
 - Clarity of execution.
 - Clarity of communication.

And yes, I use all the other major LLMs too.
Each has it's strengths/weaknesses.
But your success is about MORE than just having the right tool.
You need to leverage it properly.

I'm curious where folks see AI helping most?
Even better....where do you see it making things worse?...

"Sales" and "Content" is getting harder.
.....unless you have leverage.

In today’s market, you need at least one of these:

1) PRE-EXISTING TRUST
 Real experience. Real scars. Credibility that can’t be faked.
In my case, I come from 30 years on Wall Street and I've run my own firm for 6 years. And just like me, no AI can replicate YOUR lived experience. 

2) A SHARP POINT OF VIEW
A clear enemy. A line you won’t cross. A belief that repels some people.
In my case, I believe you cannot build a large business without mastering trust at scale through these platforms. Which means MOST large companies are doomed. Sorry, not sorry.

3) A NARRATIVE THAT CLARIFIES
Your business needs language that helps your buyers see their world differently. You must be able to explain to your prospective buyers what's REALLY happening to them.

Unfortunately, most AI-era builders have none of the above.
But here's the truth - "distribution" is no longer about being everywhere.  
It’s about being clear enough so that the right people self-select.

AI has killed mediocrity.
So buyers aren’t paying for information anymore.
They are paying to borrow your JUDGEMENT.

So stop explaining your system.
Instead, just explain the illusion people are stuck inside.
Because in an AI world, your insight IS your sales pitch.
Insight......not information.

In an AI-saturated market, understanding is cheap.
Belief is rare.
Most founders mistakely think they are selling the first.
When really it's the second.

Here's the good news.

When you have finally earned your buyer's belief:
      •   You stop over-explaining
      •   They repeat your words back to you
      •   Your sales calls stop drifting
      •   Your content finally has a spine

Remember that your goal is clarity that earns trust...

…before the pitch even starts.

"𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠?"

I was recently asked this during a discussion with a tech founder.
It's a good question.
Especially as AI continues to bleed the two into each other. 

So here is how I answered:
• Marketing handles BELIEF at scale
• Sales handles EMOTION at the margin

Your sales narrative's job is to maximize how much belief is pre-installed
so sales doesn’t have to fight uphill.

In other words, 
Sales should feel like confirmation....not persuasion.
Give it some thought.

AI accelerates a weak narrative JUST as fast as a strong one.

We ALL need to AI our companies.
That much is clear. 

But remember:
 • AI optimizes delivery, not belief
 • AI tests angles, not truth
 • AI scales narratives that already work...but it doesn’t invent them
 
Clarity comes before content. 
Always.

Sales narrative isn’t a new problem.

Most companies are struggling with sales and marketing.
But the reason for both lives 𝘶𝘱𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮.

It's 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 you start making content.
Before you do the "outbound pound."
Even before the sales meetings.....you have to nail the message.

This problem plagues every company.
It’s timeless & universal.
And it precedes AlLL "go-to-market" motion.
B U T....it’s especially brutal for tech founders

Because if you can’t explain your value clearly,
no amount of activity downstream will save you.

More content won’t fix this.
More sales meetings don’t fix it.

Only clarity does.

Marketing works when your message gives a specific group of people language they can repeat to others.

Not “attention.”
Not “reach.”
Not “content.”
Repeatable language.

If people don’t retell it, it doesn’t spread.
Most founders generalize their message.
And then they wonder why nothing sticks.

When you nail your narrative, you move beyond "content marketing."
You start building trust.

Sales is not about pitching, persuading and chasing leads.
Not anymore.
In an Ai world, you must enable your buyer to:
 • self-identify
 • self-qualify
 • self-educate
 • self-convince

When your message does this, the buyers show up ready.
This is why your narrative actually sits upstream of sales.

The right narrative does the neavy lifting FOR you.
It does this by deliberately creating:
 • shareable beliefs
 • repeatable phrases
 • clear villains

When i say "narrative," I'm not talking slogans and taglines.
I'm talking about language buyers use to:
 • explain you to their boss
 • justify you to their partner
 • forward you to a peer

If the buyer can’t advocate FOR you, then your narrative is broken.

TLDR: 
• content is downstream
• distribution is downstream
• funnels are downstream

Your narrative belongs BEFORE all the visibility systems such as ads, and outbound. 

Because if there is one thing I have learned in 30 years of selling, it is this:
the moment you say “this might not be for you,” 
trust increases.

If your content gets likes but no sales meetings....that’s not an algorithm problem. I know the pop-move is to just roast the LNKD algorithm these days. But really, this is a MESSAGING problem.

In high-stakes sales environments (think FinTech, Wall Street, enterprise B2B), nobody cares how often you post.

They care if:
• They understand what you do
• It’s relevant to them
• It’s worth a conversation

Content doesn’t create sales.

Clarity creates conversations...
And conversations create the sales.

This is a shift from the PRE-AI era.
And its a nuance that most businesses are overlooking.

AI accelerates the clear and the specific.
But AI punishes the vague and the generic.

In this regard, 
AI doesn't break marketing.
It just exposes weak narratives.

So before seeking help with your
 - content
 - branding
 - storytelling
 - or thought leadership
....take the time to craft a trust-first narrative.

This is a system that gives the right buyers the words they need to choose you...and explain that choice to others.
And all this should happen before the sale ever starts.

Execution has become table stakes.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 
𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲.
 - Writing the code.
 - Building the workflow.
 - Designing the deck.
 - Shipping the feature.

Those things used to command a premium.
But AI has collapsed the cost and the scarcity.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞?

It moves upstream to the 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋.
Not building or executing.

But rather, in deciding:
• 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵
• 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘶𝘺𝘦𝘳
• 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺
• 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬
• 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴

Here are 2 truths FinTech teams can’t ignore:

𝟭. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸
 A “great product” doesn’t fix unclear value, misaligned narratives, or long sales cycles.

𝟮. 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 
 • AI can't decide what matters to a CIO, PM, or Head of Trading
 • AI won't frame the problem in commercial terms
 • AI can't position your platform against incumbents
 • AI doesn't align your product narrative to revenue outcomes

All that work sits upstream of your software.

Going forward, advantage accrues to teams with:
• 𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙥 𝙋𝙊𝙑
• 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚
• 𝙖 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙮𝙚𝙧
• 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝

Yes, AI accelerates execution.
But clarity still determines who profits....and who struggles.

𝑻𝑳𝑫𝑹:
Building your platform is now table stakes.
𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤ℎ𝑦 𝑖𝑡 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑏𝑢𝑦𝑒𝑟?....

THAT is where deals are won.

𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.
And every time infrastructure resets, the same thing happens.
The tools multiply faster than buyers can understand them.

I’ve seen this cycle play out over the last 30 years on Wall Street.
In the 1990s, it was quote machines and FIX protocols.
In the 2000s, dark pools and matching engines.
By the 2010s, algo wheels, AI execution, and smart routing.

Each wave looked “revolutionary.”
Each wave produced the same problem.

There were too many vendors.
Too many similar claims.
Too much technical sophistication.
......and too little clarity.

The real challenge was never the technology.
It was that buyers couldn’t tell:
 • 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥
 • 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘥
 • 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 

When markets are unsettled, buyers don’t choose the best tool.
They choose the most defensible decision.

This is why infrastructure transitions are won or lost at the messaging layer.
It's not about the code....and it never will be again.

Here's what I mean:

The first iPhone didn’t win because it was obviously superior.
At launch, it looked like just another PDA (𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺/𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘮).

Apple won because Steve stepped onstage and reframed the category.
He made clear why choosing it made sense.
And he did this before the market had fully evolved.

Crypto and blockchain are in this position today.
Not because they’re hype.
But because they’re early - the companies are still wrapping their head around the potential.

Same movie.
New substrate.

Which means most FinTech builders in this space aren’t competing on product. Not yet anyway.

They’re competing on:
 • 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 20 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴
 • 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯
 • 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 (𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱)
 • 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 

All this is happening while the market is still forming

Here's the takeaway:
Infrastructure gets adopted when it ticks 3 boxes.
 - 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲
 - 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲
 - 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

And THAT'S the work most teams are underestimating right now....

In the AI era, we can no longer assume that
 - content earns attention
 - lead magnets earn trust
 - or that funnels will convert

With LLM's, the biz game has shifted:
 - attention is now cheap
 - trust is scarce
 - information is worthless

So what to do?

We must all digest the truth that judgment is now the differentiator.
The "creator" folks call have named this concept "taste."
But that's too fuzzy for me.

Our JUDGEMENT of what should be done
is now more important than what should be done.

That is what you must sell...

Give it some thought.

AI didn’t break distribution.
It just exposes weak sales narratives.

Here is what I mean:

CLARITY without a sales narrative is still fuzzy.
NARRATIVE without visibility creates no demand.
VISIBILITY without clarity is just noise.

But these aren’t separate problems.
They’re interdependent.

You need all three:
      • Clarity
      • Narrative
      • Visibility

And that order matters.
THAT is the order in which you solve them.
Because you can't post your way into clarity.
And you don’t fix demand with volume.

You build it like this:
     1   -   Clarity
     2   -   Narrative
     3   -   Visibility

IMHO, most sales systems don’t fail.
They’re just built backwards.

The companies I work with all complain that "it's getting harder" to sell.
But here is the pattern I am seeing:
      - Large enterprise teams struggle with clarity.
      - Smaller founder-led teams struggle with narrative.

Which of the three breaks first in your world....clarity, narrative, or visibility?

A sales narrative is about building trust....so you never HAVE to persuade.

We are full-steam into this era of AI slop. 
Which moves your narrative front and center. 

We are all now in the game of digital relationship management. 
And that is the job of your narrative.

Yet most founders mistakenly believe "narrative" is about:
·        the founder story
·        customer tales
·        culture
·        mission
All those are fine and they have their place.
But they are incomplete. 
Because they don't drive sales.

Trust does.

To build that, requires 3 integrated layers:
     1. POSITIONING
            -  What category do you live in? 
            -  What problem do you actually solve?
 
     2. CREDIBILITY
            -  Why should they believe you, specifically?
            -  Experience? Testimonials? etc...
 
     3. URGENCY OF DECISION
            -  Why does this matter now? 
            -  What happens if they don’t act?

Most founders stop at Layer 2 - credibility.
Most "content" folks never even get to Layer 3.

But you will stand or fall at the point of the buyer's decision-making. 
Your revenue actually rides on Layer 3.

And this cannot be forced.  
They must WANT to do business with you.
You must be chosen among all the other options...
......because they have come to trust you.

Your business success, is now solely about building that trust. 
And you must do this amidst the AI noise.

When product, process and workflows can all be automated with AI,
it comes down to distribution.
Which means your communication strategy.

Your narrative must build that bridge of trust...

Many founders are loud...yet still invisible.
This is because:
     -   Their LinkedIn does NOT match their sales deck.
     -   Their podcast does NOT match their pitch.
     -   Their website does NOT echo what they say live.

Your sales narrative must do ONE thing relentlessly:
Make the same idea show up everywhere without sounding scripted.

That is what builds trust at scale.

𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲.

The mistake of most founders and senior executives is NOT doing the internal work before doing the marketing. 

Your MESSAGE must do the "selling" FOR you now.
That demands that WE first get clear on
 - how we are different
 - the one-liners we share with our market
 - the system for building trust on these platforms
 
In short, clarity comes before content. 
Laziness here leads to AI slop.
Be part of the solution...not the problem.
Please.

Do the work.
THEN make the content.....

ENTERPRISE buyers must be sold to differently. 

Because BIG COMPANIES need internal consensus to buy. 
Multiple department-heads must agree on the new CRM...or auditing tool....or AI widget. Or whatever is being considered. 

So this is a different type of a sale from the "funnel" crowd.
And here's the problem - 

Too many Fintechs fail to understand that they need to make their message easy to share INSIDE thatprospective enterprise buyer. 

The client they seek to land has a "champion" inside who must argue on behalf of the Fintech. I'm talkin internally. 

And the the weapon they need to win that battle....is your MESSAGING.
YOU - the FinTech - must provide them a simple, portable, powerful message that they can repeat to their higher-ups.

This is also the reality of any consultants who seek to sell into global firms.
In the end, winning-over multiple stakeholders is required to win the sale.

And that start before you ever pitch them.
It starts with the message you craft.

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