You Can’t Sell What You Don’t Know
There’s something special about walking a golf course before the day begins. No noise. Just space, vision, and possibility. That’s where I found myself recently—helping a client in the golf business figures out what makes their courses more than just 18 holes and a scorecard. We weren’t mapping yardage; we were mapping identity. What makes them different? What’s their story?
As I spent time recently with TJ Duncan, leader of Duncan Golf Management based in Reno, NV, it hit me again: You can’t sell what you don’t truly know. And you certainly can’t connect with an audience if you haven’t connected with your own story first. He certainly knows what he has. The question I had for him was more about knowing what truly sets what he has… apart.
Most businesses—and leaders—skip this step. They’re working to tell the world what they do without ever stopping to define who they are or why it matters. That’s not strategy. That’s static.
Here’s the truth:
Your story isn’t a marketing exercise. It’s the foundation of influence. The heartbeat of your brand. If you haven’t claimed it, you’ve already blended in.
Think about the last speaker you heard or company you met that truly stuck with you. I’ll bet it wasn’t because of their budget or their brochure. It was because of their story—how it made you feel, how it lined up with your values, how it stayed with you after the conversation ended.
That’s what this is about. Connection. Clarity. Confidence.
And make no mistake—this isn’t just a corporate play. It’s personal. Your brand, your identity, your presence in every room you walk into hinges on your ability to share who you are and why it matters.
That’s why I challenge every client, team, and executive to answer this one question with conviction:
“Who are you, and why should we care?”
If your answer is a job title, it’s time to dig deeper. If it sounds like a brochure, it’s time to rethink the narrative.
Here’s the formula I believe in—and what I teach inside our Elevate Workshops and “A Brand New You” coaching sessions, and it’s the foundation of the Kann Advisory Group’s Elevate Consulting program as well:
Clarity breeds confidence. Confidence breeds connection. Connection builds influence.
We don’t follow people or brands that simply “check the boxes.” We follow those who own their space and tell their story with purpose.
So, back to that golf course.
We are working to help uncover their edge. Not just better greens or bigger events. It can also be about the story of legacy, of family, of doing things their way—not because its trendy, but because it might just be true. We’re working for the message that will resonate. That’s what people will buy into. Because it’s real. And it connects. And we are spending valuable time in looking at things differently – his courses and the way they are presented.
Let me ask you—have you done the work? Could you stand up tomorrow and deliver a story that makes someone lean in? Could your team?
If the answer is “not quite,” don’t wait for the next event, the next sales pitch, or the next round to figure it out.
Because in a world full of noise, the clearest message wins.
Remember This:
Every brand has a story. Every leader does, too. You brand lives in your story.
But only those who take the time to shape it—and the courage to share it—will stand out.
Work to know your story. Make sure you own your story. Then, present it with purpose.
That’s how you elevate.
Want to bring our Elevate Consulting program into your organization—or step into a personal or team training session yourself?
Let’s get started: schedule@kannadvisory.com
Own your story. Deliver your message. Elevate your voice.