Mara Brock Akil Quotes

Learn the art of the pitch and of messaging.

In any situation that calls for you to persuade, convince or manage someone or a group of people to do something, the ability to tell a purposeful story will be your secret sauce. Telling to win through purposeful stories is situation, industry, gender, demographic, and psychographic-agnostic. It's an all-purpose, everyone wins tool.

Salesmanship is limitless. Our very living is selling. We are all salespeople.

In any situation that calls for you to persuade, convince or manage someone or a group of people to do something, the ability to tell a purposeful story will be your secret sauce.

After about 15 minutes, you feel that you're winning them over.

Pitching is the art of instilling fear.

Nobody has a magic lamp which can tell you in advance whether what you say will be effective in persuading an audience.

A clever, imaginative, humorous request can open closed doors and closed minds.

I'm not good at selling laptops. I'm good at selling ideas.

Some people feel, you make your case, if they listen to you, fine, if they don't, that's it. That's not what leadership is. Leadership is trying to continue to make a case.

I am convinced that great ideas that are powerfully presented can change a mind in five minutes.

Persuasion is often more effectual than force.

I need people - theatrics and schmoozing and storytelling are part of my talent.

I think the power of persuasion would be the greatest superpower of all time.

If you are explaining, you are losing.

I find a way to convince people to come along with me. They want to be persuaded. When I sit in a room with you I'm going to sell you something whether you want it or not. At the end you'll say: 'I'm glad I bought that.'

To be successful you have to convince the public.

The truth isn't the truth until people believe you, and they can't believe you if they don't know what your saying, and they can't know what you've saying if they don't listen to you, and they won't listen to you if you're not interesting, and you won't be interesting until you say things imaginatively, originally, freshly.

You can't just give a speech and expect people to fall down and agree with you.

People appreciate and follow the person who can persuade them properly. Make that person you.

God and my dad gave me the gift of gab. I know how to finagle.

I am good at persuading people. In convincing the other, I try to start from their point of view so it's easier for me to find a common denominator.

When you're trying to persuade people, more often than not, they feel you're being pushy. When you focus on influencing them, they're much less defensive and open to hearing what you have to say.

To be in a room and have to explain your point of view is a huge skill in Hollywood.

Our job is to convince guys that our way is the best way to cross the road. The tactics and training and facilities are important, but I still have to convince you.