If you missed Cari Hartman’s high-impact talk at a recent AW event, here’s your cheat sheet on building a brand that pulls in buyers—without sending a single cold DM.
Cari Hartman, VP of Business Development at PolicyJar, has scaled lead gen brands since 2008. Her strategy? Stop chasing buyers and make them come to you.


In this tactical session, Cari laid out exactly how to position yourself as the go-to source in your vertical using personal branding, platform-specific strategies, and smart positioning. Here’s a taste:

🧱 The 3 Pillars That Make Buyers Trust You
3 Pillars of Your Brand
Use this framework to audit your positioning:
  1. Online Presence – What shows up when buyers Google you? Are your social profiles consistent, credible, and industry-focused?
  2. Offline Presence – Are you on stage, in the room, or behind a booth at industry events that matter?
  3. Inner Circle – Who’s tagging you, referring you, or letting you into private deal flow?


🔍 Cari’s advice: “Buyers do research. Make sure what they find screams credibility.”


👤 Messaging That Turns Heads (and Closes Deals)
Affiliate Vetting 101
Buyers don’t reply to spammy intros. They do respond to people who look sharp, share insights, and show up consistently.

✅ Ditch the cold “hey dear” messages
✅ Make it easy (but not too easy) to trace your brand through your ads and landing pages
✅ Use messaging apps like Skype, Telegram, and Slack—but know how each one fits your audience
✅ Present yourself as a lead vendor or agency, not “just” an affiliate

⚡ Tip: Even your ad footprint matters—buyers will check ad spy tools to vet you.

💬 Cari’s mindset shift:
“If you want to stop pitching and start attracting, you have to look like someone worth buying from.”