Brand Messaging in Sales

After creating hundreds of thousands of presentations, Nancy Duarte discovered a framework in 2010 that changed her life. She mapped it over Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone. Both aligned perfectly. She cried in her office - the pattern she'd been desperate to find was real. See, most founder pitches fail the same way. You stack all the customer pain points at the start, then demo your product at the end. By the time you reach your solution, people have already decided if they're interested. They tuned out at slide 8. Duarte's Sparkline does the opposite. You alternate between “what is” and “what could be” throughout the entire pitch. Pain, solution. Pain, solution. The pattern works because contrast commands attention and open loops create psychological discomfort. The brain needs recurring tension to stay engaged: - MLK toggled between injustice now and "I have a dream" repeatedly. - Jobs contrasted clunky smartphone limitations with iPhone capabilities throughout the 80-minute presentation. - JFK alternated between the US’s space limitations and “we choose to go to the Moon in this decade.” Each toggle made staying in the current state unbearable. The execution: 1. Make your customer the hero by using their exact words Interview five target customers or investors before you build slides. When they describe frustrations, use their language verbatim. This proves you understand their reality before pitching your solution. 2. Paint “what could be” with sensory detail Not better accommodations. Instead: a family arrives in Paris, their Airbnb host left fresh croissants and a handwritten neighborhood guide on the kitchen table. They feel like locals, not tourists. Concrete outcomes stick. Abstract benefits are forgotten. 3. Alternative problem/solution throughout - never batch Pain 1, solution 1, pain 2, solution 2, pain 3, solution 3. Never group all problems then all features. Batching lets investors and customers mentally check out before you finish. 4. End with an immediate next step (24-48 hours) For investors: “By Friday, confirm the partner meeting date and three references you want to call.” For customers: “By tomorrow, send three use cases and I'll record a custom demo by Wednesday.” Make the decision immediate and concrete. Watch for these signals mid-pitch: You're losing them when investors lean back, check phones, or pivot to questions about your burn rate and competition. You're winning when customers interrupt to describe their specific use case, ask about implementation timeline, or want to loop in their team immediately. When every startup in your category has similar features, the pitch that creates unbearable tension wins the round, the sale, and the talent.

I almost fired our best SDR last year. It wasn’t personal. He was a good guy, worked hard, and always showed up on time. But month after month, his numbers weren’t improving. Emails went unanswered. Calls never connected. Demos? Non-existent. We were both frustrated. I started to wonder if he was the problem. Maybe sales wasn’t his thing? Then one afternoon, we grabbed coffee. Instead of talking numbers, we talked openly. I asked him straight-up: “Why isn’t it working?” He took a deep breath and replied: “I’m following our playbook. I send hundreds of emails, but honestly, I’m just guessing. I don’t really know who’s ready to talk, so I try everyone.” It hit me like a ton of bricks. We’d built a system based on volume and hope, not precision. It wasn’t him. it was us. We’d given him the wrong tools, the wrong strategy. So instead of letting him go, we completely changed how we did outbound. We stopped guessing. We started paying attention to signals: Who’s visiting our LinkedIn profiles? (Tracked via Teamfluence™) Who’s engaging silently with our posts? (Tracked via Clay) Who’s spending serious time on our website? (Tracked via RB2B) Suddenly, our SDR wasn’t sending cold messages. He was following signals that said, “Hey, I’m interested. Talk to me.” Within a month, his reply rate doubled. In two months, he became our top performer. Today, he leads our outbound team. It wasn’t about effort. It was about timing and having a system that showed him exactly when to reach out and who to reach out to. Outbound isn’t about sending more messages. It’s about knowing exactly when and how to engage. If your SDRs are struggling, ask yourself: Are they failing you or are you failing them? It might change your perspective. It certainly changed ours. #Outbound #SalesLeadership #SDRlife #RevOps #LinkedInSales #SalesLessons #GTMStrategy #B2BSaaS #SmartSelling #GTMEngineering #AIOutbound #Teamfluence #Clay

There is way too much BS around branding. We should stop talking about logos, colours, or catchy taglines. The fight worth fighting for today is: memory. And memory is built with structure. And guess what’s the hardest thing to do these days? Being memorable. Your audience is:  – Overstimulated  – Overloaded  – Under-committed  – And doesn’t give a flying fudge about you or your AI. They scroll past 10 brands before tea time. They see 5,000 ads a day. They forget what they saw yesterday, and they’re not even trying to remember. So if you’re not strategic about how you show up... You don’t just lose attention, you never had it in the first place. That’s why the best brands aren’t the loudest. They’re the most structured. They build memory by design and repetition. Using the 5 Cs of brand building: → 1. CLARITY If your team can’t explain what you do and why it matters, your audience won’t either. It’s the reason you exist, the problem you solve, and the position you hold. How well your brand is understood outside depends on how well it’s understood inside. No alignment means no clarity. Action: Ask five teammates what the brand stands for. If you get five answers, start here. → 2. CONSISTENCY Repetition builds reputation. Brands don’t get remembered by changing their message every quarter. Consistency means saying the same thing in a thousand ways, creating the same cue every time. 🍟 (You probably just made one thanks to that emoji.) It’s not boring...it’s predictability done right. Action: Check your channels. Does the same story show up everywhere? → 3. CADENCE If you don’t show up regularly, you don’t exist. People forget the one brilliant post from two months ago. They remember who kept showing up. Cadence builds memory, staying top of mind for when they’re ready to buy. Action: Set a minimum rhythm. Not for likes — for recall. → 4. CREDIBILITY Trust is the real currency. Anyone can talk. Only brands that do what they say earn belief. Credibility is slow to build, fast to lose, and impossible to buy. Action: Show proof. Stories. Results. Receipts. → 5. CULTURAL RELEVANCE Great brands don’t follow culture, they feed it. They listen, adapt, and reflect what their audience cares about now. Because people don’t connect with what’s different. They connect with what’s true to their world today. Action: Look at the conversations around you. What truth can your brand express first? The brands that win are the ones that show up with structure. Be easy to understand. Be consistent in message. Be present. Be trusted. Be culturally relevant. Because brand building isn’t about what you look like. It’s about what people remember when they need you.

Sales folks, take note! Spamming a target company's employees with your services and requests for meetings will result in your company making its way onto a buyer's blocklist. As a buyer in the localization industry, I receive dozens of emails and LinkedIn requests every single day from vendors looking to showcase translation, AI, QA services, and more. It's not humanly possible to give personal replies to every outreach. When vendors can't get through to me, they often reach out to everyone on my team... and sometimes to many others across my company. I'd love for this practice to stop. It wastes valuable company time and makes a vendor appear desperate and non-strategic. Here's what to do instead: 1. Appeal to ego! Invite a target company’s decision-maker to a panel, or start a vlog series and ask buyers to appear and discuss industry topics. It’s also a great opportunity to reposition your company as a thought leader. 2. Offer genuine insight, not just services. Share a case study, white paper, or benchmarking data that’s actually useful to the buyer’s role, and do it without a sales pitch. 3. Build a reputation before you build a pipeline. Comment thoughtfully on posts. Contribute to community conversations. If you consistently show up with value, you’re far more likely to get noticed. 4. Target smarter, not broader. Don’t shotgun your message to an entire company. Learn the org. Understand the buyer’s scope. Then send one well-researched, personalized note that shows you actually did your homework. 5. Focus on mutual value. Can you help solve a known pain point or offer perspective on something changing in the market? Frame your outreach around collaboration, not consumption. 6. Use timing to your advantage. Keep tabs on when companies are hiring for roles associated with your offerings, launching in new markets, or attending conferences. That’s when buyers are more receptive to new solutions. 7. Lead with generosity. Offer a no-strings-attached resource, intro, or suggestion that doesn’t benefit you directly. Reciprocity is a powerful trust builder. And please! Don't ever ever call me on the phone! ;)

The fastest way to dilute a marketing budget is not poor targeting. It is shifting the message every time the channel changes. During one company’s growth phase, performance looked strong at a glance. Campaign metrics were solid. Engagement was steady. Leads continued to come in. Yet when prospects were asked what the brand actually stood for, the answers were inconsistent. Social channels told one story. Sales decks emphasized another. The website introduced a slightly different angle. Nothing appeared out of place. But nothing was distinctly remembered either. This is how cross-channel message drift works. It rarely announces itself. It shows up as subtle differences in tone, promise, or positioning. Over time, those small variations weaken recall. In B2B environments, where trust and memory heavily influence decisions, that uncertainty creates friction. Consistency is not about repeating identical language everywhere. It is about reinforcing a clear core belief across every touchpoint. When messaging compounds from channel to channel, recall strengthens. When each interaction reintroduces a new narrative, buyers are forced to reassess. This week’s newsletter examines how message inconsistency slows momentum, why recall is a strategic advantage, and what a cohesive messaging architecture looks like in practice. For teams that want to be remembered when it counts, it is a timely read.

Buyers don’t need more information—they need you to bring a new perspective In 2011, Patagonia made a decision that challenged everything we expect from a brand. On Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, they ran an ad with four simple words: “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” It wasn’t a stunt. It was a call to action. CEO Yvon Chouinard urged consumers to rethink their buying habits and the environmental impact of their choices. Patagonia wasn’t chasing a quick sale. They were asking their customers to think differently. That message resonated because it wasn’t just about jackets or even sustainability. It was about trust. Patagonia showed they were willing to challenge their buyers. Not to sell more, but to inspire better decisions. That bold, solution-oriented perspective didn’t just build loyalty. It built a legacy. Sales leaders, there’s a profound lesson here. Our job isn’t just to meet buyers where they are. It’s to bring a perspective that shifts how they think about their challenges. 👉 Buyers don’t need more data or a longer list of features. They need clarity. They need insights. They need sellers who are willing to challenge assumptions and help them envision better outcomes. This isn’t easy. It requires deep preparation. It means understanding their world so well that you can say, “Have you considered this approach?” or, “What if you solved this problem in a completely different way?” That’s how trust is earned—by doing the hard work of showing up prepared to reframe their needs in ways they hadn’t yet seen. Patagonia didn’t ask their customers to buy into a jacket. They asked them to buy into a better way of thinking. In sales, we’re called to do the same. The future of selling isn’t about delivering more information. It’s about helping them see what’s possible and inspiring them to act. 📌 How do you show up with a POV that inspires action?

I audited outreach messages from a few ITO firms in APAC and oh boy, I was shocked. Almost identical email scripts, but across companies? A little investigation showed: - BDMs & SDRs typically have short tenures in ITO/Software space - Many sales folks bounce between competing companies - They recycle the same sales messaging model, even with 1001 clients already. Out of the messages I audited, I found 80%: - surface-level personalisation - pitch but no value added up front - no focus on proof, just endless bragging This is why so many outreach attempts fail before they start. No wonder they create decision fatigue for clients. Response rates hover under 1% while inbox reputation burns. What actually works: 1. Positioning → Not all ITO/AI companies are created the same, yet they sound identical in outreach. The ones that win define their unique lane. 2. Boilerplate messaging → What to say about your brand (your boilerplate needs to be instantly recognisable as yours, not a template everyone uses). 3. Value point mapping → Pitch differently to different personas without copy-paste emails for the 86th time. 4. Competitive messaging → Turn category competitors into context for your strengths. 5. Proof and Brag → Turn your credible evidence and brag-worthy facts into a trust badge. This is exactly how we help clients re-approach their go-to-market strategy. Before investing thousands in sales tools, processes, Nail your messaging, positioning first. Because better tech can't fix broken messaging. What do you think? --- ♻️ If you find this helpful, repost to help others win. Or save it, run an internal workshop this month and thank me later.

I’ve coached thousands of sellers on how to create the perfect sales pitch using a framework called the 5 P’s. Until today, I have never shared this with anybody except my coaching clients. Here’s why it’s so effective: when most companies create a first call deck or sales pitch, they make it all about their own company and how great they are.   𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬! The reason why is simple: customers don’t care about your products and services. They care about themselves, achieving their goals, and solving their own problems. Yet most pitch decks fail to speak to the problems which customers face and the pains they are causing. That’s why I created a framework which focuses solely on the customer’s challenges and how your solution can solve them. 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟓 𝐏’𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐏 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫: 𝟏. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦: What problem do most prospects you work with face that your company can solve? The problem should be very high level, and important to Senior Executives at the company. It should be a business problem, not a technical problem. For example, if I sell CRM, the problem I solve would be rep underperformance, low rep productivity, or missed forecasts. All of which are important to a CRO or CEO. 𝟐. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧: Why does the problem exist? What is the root cause of the problem? By understanding the source of the problem, you demonstrate credibility and establish immediate trust with prospects because you are speaking their language. In the above example, I could say that reps often miss their forecasts because leadership has poor visibility to their sales pipeline and no way to accurately predict which deals are most likely to close, all of which a CRM solves for. 𝟑. 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧: What pain is the problem causing? The pain is always focused on the metrics that are impacted by the problem. For example, missed forecasts could mean a reduction in stock prices, missed revenue targets, and sales layoffs. 𝟒. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞: How does your company solve the problem? The promise should always solve the primary reasons you just outlined. So for example, AI driven forecasting would prevent inaccurate manual forecasting and low visibility to deals. 𝟓. 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟: What metrics do you positively impact by solving the problem? Key payoff metrics for a CRM would be improved rep quota attainment, productivity, and accurate forecasting, all of which drive top line revenue & profitability. In this week's training video, I walk you through how to create the perfect sales pitch using the 5 P framework. You can find the training here: https://lnkd.in/gmu_Bdu3 PS - If you want to access a copy of the Problem Mapping Template so you can fill out the 5 P’s for your own solutions, get it here: https://lnkd.in/gASNe_em

I’ve done 350+ discovery calls in the past 3 years and closed 7+ figures in contract value. I always structure my 1st call in the same 5-step format: Great sales is nothing more than a structured approach to help prospects make a decision. It shows them that I’m understanding and have their best interest at heart. I consider sales to be part of the service. It’s consulting. Here's how my discovery calls look: 𝟭. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 I want to find out as much as possible about them. My goal is to understand their journey & personality, and also make them feel heard & understood off the bat. They talk, I shut up. If they jump straight into business, I gently steer them back. ___ 𝟮. 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘁 Next, I dive into their business model, bottlenecks, and top goals: • Who’s your ICP? • What do you offer? • What’s your marketing status quo? • etc. I figure out if a collaboration makes sense and whether they need our help or something else entirely—like coaching, a new tool, a different vendor, or just advice on improving their current setup. ___ 𝟯. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 I recap what they’ve shared and then introduce myself. Here, I try to mirror how they shared their story: • what topics did they focus on? • how far back did they go? • what did they highlight? At the same time, I look for similarities between us to create relatability. Then at the end, I explain what I do on a high level. ___ 𝟰. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘀 & 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 From there, I introduce the 3 key theses they need to believe for us to work together. • Thesis 1: The decisions we make are influenced by the people we trust and the content we consume. • Thesis 2: Content helps build relationships & trust at scale. • Thesis 3: Content is an infinite game If they're not aligned with this thesis, it usually indicates we're not a fit. At the same time, I also discuss the rough budget range to make sure we're on the same page about expectations early on. ___ 5. 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 If it feels like a fit, I lock in a follow-up call right then. I never leave this for later—it just adds uncertainty and hassle. If it’s not a fit, I still try to offer value—maybe I send some free resources or give advice. ___ 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄: • I call out any elephants in the room. • I recap what they say to confirm my understanding and give them a chance to add details. • This also helps me process what they’ve shared. • I always leave room for their questions. • Their needs are #1 priority. #b2bsales #founderledsales #consultativesales

B2B buyers spend most of their time trying to figure out which problems are worth fixing, not which products to buy. That part of the process is messy. People read a mix of reviews, Slack threads, Reddit comments, analyst notes, and whatever their peers already trust. Most of the time they already know how to solve the problem; they’re deciding if it deserves attention this quarter. This is where marketing carries weight. When you consistently show the buyer what the problem costs them, how it shows up in their day, and why it keeps resurfacing, you help them move it higher on their internal list. This requires clarity more than it requires big claims. Small, specific examples of the friction they already feel. Stories that sound familiar. Proof that other teams solved the same issue and saw a clear lift. The brands that stay top of mind are the ones that give buyers language they can take into their next meeting: “Here’s the issue, here’s why it matters now, and here’s why we should consider fixing it.” If your messaging made one buyer conversation easier this week, it’s already doing its job. What’s one everyday pain point in your category that buyers instantly recognise when they see it framed well?