“Marketing and sales are all about belief. It’s about telling stories to change behavior.” - Austin Dixon (11:27-11:36)Austin Dixon The Whole Truth Learning how to sell is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for entrepreneurs. Most people lack the confidence to ask for the sale, causing them to struggle to gain traction and build long-term success. But there’s a simple strategy you can use to reverse the process. Rather than spend all of your time asking for the sale, you can actually get others to ask you how they can buy what you’re selling. “Most marketers speak in technobabble and bore their audiences. They’re not selling through stories.” - Austin Dixon (10:50-10:58) Some people are born with the traits and skills for selling. But others have to develop these skills over time. If you grew up always getting what you wanted, then chances are that you’ve never had to make a sale. You’ve never had to ask for something in a compelling or persuasive way. Many entrepreneurs have negative experiences with sales. They learned outdated or ineffective hard-selling tactics that only alienated their prospects. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t learn how to become an effective salesperson. The first few months after starting a business are the hardest. If you’ve quit your job to pursue an entrepreneurial dream, chances are you’ve encountered doubt, resistance, and even disapproval from others. Business owners often have something to prove when they go out on their own. But if you don’t know how to sell or you don’t enjoy the process, then it’s going to be harder to achieve the kind of success that shows you and everyone else that it’s possible. Avoid the Biggest Selling Mistakes Entrepreneurs Are Making Not knowing how to speak to prospects is the biggest selling mistake entrepreneurs make. They rely on techno-babble that fails to resonate with their audience rather than emphasize the benefits and end results that clients can achieve. When you understand the needs of your potential clients and you align your message to those needs, you’re more likely to turn their attention into interest for your services or products. Storytelling is a powerful way to achieve this. Storytelling is a sales tool that helps you send the right message to the right audience. It gives prospects a clear vision of what they can get out of working with you. Marketing and sales are all about belief. The right stories get your audience to think about things in a different way. If you can’t achieve this through your marketing strategies, then you’ve already lost the sale. “Good stories attract. Good stories engage. At the end of the day, good stories change how the audience thinks.” - Austin Dixon (11:49-11:57) Stories attract and engage. They change how your audience thinks, helping them overcome the beliefs that are holding them back. When your marketing messages influence their belief patterns, your audience quickly realizes they need what you offer. More importantly, they’ll ask you for the sale. If you want to sell effectively, go out and tell better stories. Inspire transformation in your audience. Understand that your competitors are telling their own stories. All you need to do is tell better ones and change how your prospects think about their problems and the solutions you can provide. When you do this, you create a sales strategy that brings you consistent and predictable results. How to Get Involved NEED CAPTION AND CTA.