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October 1, 2025 38 mins

Today's episode of Sell With Authority is a special encore with one of our rock solid awesome guests — Tom Martin, Founder and President of Converse Digital.

For more than 30 years, Tom's been helping startups, agencies, and global brands revolutionize how they sell. He's the author of The Invisible Sale, creator of the Painless Prospecting program, and a keynote speaker you've likely seen at Build a Better Agency, Content Marketing World, Inbound, and more.

Tom is on a mission to help agencies ditch pushy sales tactics and instead lean into persuasion, influence, and trust. His latest framework, Life's a Pitch, is a masterclass in why most pitches fail — and how to craft ones that win.

I didn't want to have this conversation without Hannah Roth — Predictive's Director of Strategy and our in-house Mad Scientist. Hannah works alongside our clients every day refining positioning, sharpening pitches, and leading experiments inside our Predictive Lab.

Tom is back joining Hannah and I to help you reframe your pitch process — and win more right-fit clients.

What you will learn in this episode:

  • Why 90% of your pitch is forgotten within 2 days — and how to break that pattern for good
  • The real difference between trust and credibility and how to architect both in your pitch
  • Why most agencies still "show up and throw up" and how to change that
  • The neuroscience and cognitive load theory that reveal why your pitch probably isn't landing
  • How to build a "yellow brick road" your prospects will want to follow straight to yes
  • Practical ways to reduce risk for your client
  • How to avoid flashy slides that distract — and lead with substance that sticks in their minds instead

Resources:

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