I have been selling for 23 years. If I had to compress all of it into one senten
By Danan Coleman · July 21, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
I have been selling for 23 years. If I had to compress all of it into one sentence: the best way to sell anything is through help.
Not pitching. Not clever copy. Help, given before you need anything back.
Five years ago I knew virtually nobody in my industry. I would show up to trade shows before the doors opened and ask people if they needed a hand setting up their booth. Then I would actually set it up. No ask attached.
Today when I walk into an event, the sentence I hear over and over is "you need to know Danan."
That did not happen because I was everywhere. This is the part people get wrong: you can attend events for five years and nobody will know who you are. Presence is not the goal. You have to get into the circle of the people who already have the networks, and the only reliable way in is to be the most useful person in the room.
There are people in my industry who will answer my call and help the moment I ask, for one reason. I helped them ten times before I ever asked once.
The best way to sell is through help. The best way to network is offering your help. Same muscle.