Breaking the Mental Barriers to Fundraising Success

Watch Trailer Episode 108: https://youtu.be/Jl87c8MCsew

Watch Full Episode: https://youtu.be/p8tHksEEe-I

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

06:00 Innovation and Entrepreneurial Mindset

08:25 The Power of Sales and Impact

15:03 Competition, Education, and Excellence

29:01 Transition to Mega Deals

31:30 The Power of Pivoting and Self-Reflection

45:51 The Importance of AI and Sustainability

48:13 Pivoting from a Bad Business Idea

51:09 Confidence, Arrogance, and Success

55:35 Working in Your Energy Zone

58:10 Recognizing Limitations as a Leader

01:01:21 Deal Orchestration, Marketing, and Social Selling in Closing Big Deals

01:21:01 Thorough research and preparation

01:23:07 Building personal brands

01:25:38 The hypocrisy of generic agencies

01:29:12 Going niche and specializing

01:31:14 Involvement in the sales process

01:33:48 Stakeholder mapping and media platform

01:36:15 Scaling with formulas and scalers

01:38:52 The effectiveness of expert-led sales

01:41:02 The role of content and coaching

01:43:48 Creating professional videos

Authentic As F*ck is a podcast all about storytelling. I have conversations with entrepreneurs, and creators, hear their stories, and how these stories shaped the person.

So excited to share in Episode 108 of the AAF podcast: Selling And Orchestrating Mega Deals with Christopher Engman. Don't miss this inspiring conversation about entrepreneurship and storytelling.

Christopher Engman is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and large deal advisor in sustainability scale-ups. Christopher spends about 50% of his time on Megadeals, and the rest as an investor and advisor for 16 other companies.

Comment, tag, and share with someone who would love this. Enjoy!

Also join Night Owl Nation https://sunyi.co/night-owl-nation, a global community of entrepreneurs and creators who practice storytelling together.

Follow me: @SunYiCo

Website https://sunyi.co

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Domestika https://domestika.org/en/courses/2638-the-art-of-storytelling-for-freelancers-and-creators/sunyi

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Facebook https://www.facebook.com/megadealsadvisory

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Summary

In this episode, Sun interviews Christopher Engman, author of MegaDeals and co-founder of Megadeals. They discuss Christopher's childhood, his early entrepreneurial ventures, and his journey to becoming an expert in mega deals. Christopher shares insights on the importance of personal branding, storytelling, and the mindset needed for successful sales. He emphasizes the need for authenticity and a focus on creating impact rather than just closing deals. The conversation also touches on the education system and the importance of continuous learning and self-improvement. The conversation explores the importance of pivoting and self-reflection in entrepreneurship. It emphasizes the four key qualities that contribute to success: being cool about feedback, self-reflecting, having a direction, and being able to pivot. The speakers discuss the value of reflecting on one's mistakes and learning from them. They also touch on the importance of social skills and the impact of technology on interpersonal communication. The conversation delves into the mindset required to raise funds and start a successful business, highlighting the need for confidence, humility, and a willingness to pivot. The speakers also discuss the significance of working in one's energy zone and focusing on areas of strength. In this part of the conversation, Christopher Engman discusses the importance of understanding one's strengths and weaknesses when pursuing entrepreneurship. He emphasizes the need for humility and self-awareness to avoid making the mistake of trying to be someone you're not. Christopher shares his own experience of bankrupting his first company because he tried to excel in all areas instead of focusing on his talents. He also highlights the risk of suffocating others and killing enthusiasm when leaders fail to recognize their own limitations. Additionally, Christopher talks about his journey in the Megadeals space and the importance of deal orchestration, marketing, and social selling in closing big deals. In this conversation, Christopher Engman and Sun discuss effective strategies for acquiring clients and scaling an agency. They emphasize the importance of doing thorough research and being well-prepared before approaching potential clients. They also highlight the value of focusing on a niche market and building personal brands to establish credibility and trust. Christopher shares insights on the different buying logics of companies and the need to tailor the go-to-market strategy accordingly. They discuss the role of content marketing and the importance of delivering valuable insights to clients. Overall, they provide valuable advice for salespeople and agency owners looking to grow their businesses.

Keywords

entrepreneurship, personal branding, storytelling, mega deals, sales, authenticity, impact, education system, pivoting, self-reflection, entrepreneurship, feedback, direction, social skills, technology, mindset, raising funds, confidence, humility, energy zone, strength, entrepreneurship, humility, self-awareness, strengths, weaknesses, failure, leadership, Megadeals, deal orchestration, marketing, social selling, client acquisition, scaling, agency, research, niche market, personal branding, buying logics, content marketing, insights

Takeaways

• You don't have to create something super unique to start a successful business. Low innovation ideas can still be profitable.
• The best salespeople are genuinely interested in helping their clients and creating impact, rather than just closing deals.
• Competition can be healthy and fun, as long as it is self-imposed and not driven by external pressure.
• The education system often teaches that 50% correct answers are good enough, but in the real world, excellence is expected.
• Having a direction is more important than setting concrete goals, as it allows for flexibility and adaptation. Successful entrepreneurs pivot frequently and are open to feedback and self-reflection.
• Reflecting on mistakes and learning from them is crucial for personal growth and improvement.
• Social skills are important in a digital age where interpersonal communication is often lacking.
• Confidence, humility, and a willingness to pivot are essential for raising funds and starting a successful business.
• Working in one's energy zone and focusing on areas of strength can lead to greater happiness and success. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses is crucial for success in entrepreneurship.
• Having humility and self-awareness helps avoid the mistake of trying to be someone you're not.
• Recognizing your limitations as a leader is important to avoid suffocating others and killing enthusiasm.
• Deal orchestration, marketing, and social selling play a significant role in closing big deals. Thorough research and preparation are essential before approaching potential clients.
• Focusing on a niche market and building personal brands can establish credibility and trust.
• Understanding the different buying logics of companies is crucial for tailoring the go-to-market strategy.
• Delivering valuable insights through content marketing can help attract and engage clients.