--- title: "The ring of influence" description: "A secondary audience close to the buyer that gives you access." canonical: https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/the-personal-branding-playbook/the-ring-of-influence/ updated: 2026-11-03 --- # The ring of influence > A secondary audience close to the buyer that gives you access. Amelia Sordell's framework, from The Personal Branding Playbook, pp. 91 to 102. Framework 3 of 10 from [The Personal Branding Playbook](https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/the-personal-branding-playbook/index.md) by Amelia Sordell. Category: Lead generation. ## The steps 1. **Primary audience.** Founders and executives who buy. 2. **Ring around them.** Assistants and marketing teams who sit close to the buyer. 3. **Split content.** Start 50/50, then test 60/40 and 30/70. ## Where it comes from From chapter: 5 Finding friends not followers, pp. 91–102 The common mistake is making content all about selling. Sordell has asked directly for a sale only three times in three and a half years of Klowt posting, and most clients come in through content about running a business and her mistakes. She sets her audience from her goal, picks a niche defined by what the audience cares about rather than by what she sells, learns that audience by asking them questions, and layers in the ring of influence once the core is working. Engaging in other people's audiences first is the way to find friends. ## The animation 24 seconds, 4:5, no sound. - MP4: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/the-personal-branding-playbook/the-ring-of-influence.mp4 - MP4, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/the-personal-branding-playbook/the-ring-of-influence-dark.mp4 - Still: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/the-personal-branding-playbook/the-ring-of-influence.png - Still, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/the-personal-branding-playbook/the-ring-of-influence-dark.png