Last week, I listened to an entrepreneur deliver his pitch, and by the end, I was struck by how deeply he believed in his company’s vision. His conviction was contagious, transforming his belief into mine. All entrepreneurs believe in their work, but some have a unique ability to persuade others to share their perspective. I describe this as a transfer of belief from one person to another. Yes, it’s a form of selling, but it’s far more profound.

In 2014, I met Tope Awotona, the founder of Calendly, at the Atlanta Tech Village. I asked the usual questions: Why did you start the business? Why now? What’s going well? What’s not going well? What’s next? He shared his passion for building a simple, beautiful interface to make scheduling meetings effortless. Today, we take such tools for granted, but back then, scheduling was cumbersome, slow, and inefficient. By the end of our conversation, Tope had transferred his belief that there was a better way, and that he was the best person to make it happen. Yes, I was sold, but it was so much more. I believed.

Sales has always been a critical role for entrepreneurs. Nothing happens until someone, somewhere, is sold. However, we’ve all encountered an founder who failed to convince us of a product’s value or worth. They couldn’t transfer their belief. As an entrepreneur, I recommend reframing the concept of selling as transferring belief in your solution and vision. Belief comes from a deeper, more meaningful place, carrying greater conviction. A sale can feel superficial or transactional. Moving forward, focus on transferring belief rather than just closing a deal.