B2B trust through peer validation

Last year, I was speaking with a VP of Sales who confidently asserted: “Our buyers rely heavily on Gartner and Forrester reports, and LinkedIn is just noise.” That claim led us to a deeper look. So we ran a rapid social intelligence audit across their 10+ ideal enterprise target accounts and the reality was revealing: 👉 significant stakeholders actively adding connections in LinkedIn. 👉 a few of those routinely engaged on LinkedIn content. This wasn’t casual scrolling… it was conscious participation and relationship building. Some buyers were raising ‘purchase-intent’ questions as well. All transparently surfaced on LinkedIn - in public threads and peer groups. Data illuminating exactly where the research action happens pre-RFP. We scripted a custom GTM strategy: 👍 Enterprise Signal Posts: Engineered deep-dive, persona-tagged case studies, optimized to get clipped into internal research decks and circulated among architects, PMOs, and senior engineers. 👍 Dark-Social Authority: By engaging in high-value vendor comparison (and likes) threads, our client’s leadership profiles gained credibility and trust inside private channels invisible to traditional analytics. 👍 Decision-Stage Content: Launched proof-backed narrative video for "solution-aware" prospects, resulting in high-conversion SQLs. With consistency. The outcomes? 💪 Significant % of new enterprise meetings originated directly from LinkedIn-driven content touchpoints and network engagement. 💪 RFP win-rate increased, correlated to significant buyers explicitly referencing LinkedIn case materials. 💪 Sales cycles compressed because buyers entered conversations highly informed and confident. Why does this work in enterprise buying cycles? Vendor Validation: B2B procurement is increasingly cross-functional; live peer discussions on LinkedIn serve as a real-time, trusted “research layer” far beyond static analyst reports. Peer Proof: Enterprise decision-makers weight peer-shared insights more heavily than vendor-curated collateral, especially within their own secure collaboration channels. If you’re still dismissing LinkedIn as “just noise,” you’re strategically ceding ground during arguably the most critical phase of buyer evaluation. In 2025, enterprise buying journeys don’t start with vendor meetings… they start with social proof, digital authority, and dark social signals. And the winners are the brands that embed themselves authentically and intelligently in these ecosystems. #SocialSelling #DarkSocial #LinkedIn #RevOps #AIGTM

63% of B2B execs now start vendor research by asking their network. Not Google. Not vendor websites. Not ads. This jumped from 58% last year. The "trust gap" between peer recommendations and vendor content is widening. The backchannel is the new sales channel. 82% of buyers have private conversations about vendors during their buying process. They're sliding into DMs, posting in Slack groups, and reaching out directly to people they know who use the product. Your prospects are researching you in conversations you can't see or control. Companies who are leaning into this network effect see: - 21% shorter sales cycles - 35% higher conversion rates - 18% larger deal sizes What this means for you: Stop hoping customers will stumble across your testimonials. Start connecting prospects with happy customers they already know and trust. The Trust Factor: 2025 State of Social Proof in B2B Buying report by Wynter and Noble offers advice for turning relational proof into a repeatable revenue engine. Link to full report in the comments.

A private research group offered me $100 to take a survey and in my best Frito from Idiocracy voice: "I like money." No, $100 is not an exciting amount of money but it also wasn’t a difficult ask and a more productive use of my time than the Instagram scrolling I would’ve been doing at that hour of the night. The survey was about why I choose channel vendors I gave my insight but what I noticed is that they “had it all wrong”. They asked questions like “what makes you recommend a vendor?” and had multiple choise options like “spiff” “commission” “sales enablement tools” “portal” etc. Those things are nice but they are not the real reasons that I would recommend a vendor to my customers. As cofounder and member of the Technology Advisor Alliance, I have a front-row seat to what technology advisors actually care about — not just from my own lens as a technology advisor myself, but from ongoing conversations with a diverse network of peers. One of the most important reasons for choosing a vendor isn’t on any of the lists, polls, or surveys people put out. So if it's not the commission, the spiff, the portal, and definetly not the pitch deck... what is it then?!?! It’s defensibility. “Can I defend this choice to my customer if things go sideways?” Another way to put it is “Is this recommendation a safe choice?” Same strategy as picking a babysitter… If I’m not totally confident that this person is going to keep my kids safe, there’s no way in hell I’m going to hire them. Even if a vendor’s solution is solid, we want to know: Can I trust them to deliver? Who else that I know is working with them? Will this vendor make me look good to my customer? Peer validation matters more than a vendor’s pitch. Advisors aren’t just looking for features and pricing — we want PROOF that our peers have had good experiences recommending that vendor. We want to know the WHOLE story not the marketing presentation. Is implementation actually smooth and efficient? Did anything annoy the customer? We know problems happen—how did the vendor handle it? Vendors that aren’t afraid to be talked about by their partners, and lead with testimonials from real technology advisors—are the ones who get it. They’ve got nothing to hide, and they know their reputation holds up in the wild. The ones clinging to polished decks and scripted presentations? You’re not fooling anyone. If you’re a vendor who is trying to grow your advisor partnerships, focus less on flash and more on making advisors feel safe bringing you in. That means: Credible advisor testimonials (not vague quotes) Case studies with named customers and real outcomes Clear, simple value props we can pass along to our clients A reputation that precedes you in advisor circles I don’t want to gamble. I want defensible, peer-validated, trustworthy partners. ✌

Case Studies are SLOWING down your deals. Most SaaS teams can't afford long sales cycles - but they're stuck with them. Growth is half of what it was in 2019 (David Spitz) Budgets are tighter. Buyers are more risk-averse. Yet most GTM teams are still playing by 2021 rules - pushing out case studies near the end of a deal instead of enabling trust. 53% of CTOs validate vendors through peer referrals (Wynter) The best teams aren't adjusting their messaging. They're adjusting their GTM playbook. 📌 Why Case Studies Aren't Enough - They're passive - buyers can't ask their own questions - They're generic - rarely match the prospect's exact situation - They feel staged - buyers know when they're being fed a marketing-approved story Meanwhile, a 15-minute peer call does the opposite: - Unfiltered, real-world answers - Faster, stronger trust - Better qualification (earlier) - Shorter sales cycles, higher win rates, and larger ACV 📌 The Move --> Build a Customer Referral Board Most companies treat referrals as a late-stage deal closer. The best teams? They use them from day one. - Handpick 10 power users - Executives & practitioners, across key industries - Make them an extension of your sales team - Early, often, and on-demand - Offer peer calls on the first sales interaction - Not just at the end Example: An enterprise SaaS company moved their peer referrals to the first sales call instead of the last - Win rates jumped 27% - Time to close dropped by 1-2 months - ACV increased - buyers saw the full value upfront 🔥 Your Move Buyers are more hesitant than ever They need real conversations, not marketing assets - Build a Customer Referral Board - Use peer referrals early, not late - Shorten sales cycles, improve cash flow, and win more deals Have you tried using peer referrals early in the sales process? What worked for you? #sales #growth #saas

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝘀 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲. A new generation is shifting how buyers behave. They’re ushering in the era of LinkedIn influencers. After New Fronts, I spoke with Matthew Derella  VP of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. His take was clear: the B2B buying journey we’ve known for decades is dead. 𝟭) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 According to eMarketer, Gen Z is LinkedIn’s fastest-growing audience. Last year, 21.1 million U.S. Gen Z users joined. That’s up 𝟭𝟯.𝟲% 𝗬𝗼𝗬. These buyers aren’t downloading white papers. They’re researching through peer networks and trusted voices. 87% of B2B buyers prefer content from industry voices they trust. 𝟮) 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹 Trust has moved from brands to people. Derella said it best: “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴.” So how do you reach them? Work with creators and influencers. These are the voices your future customers already trust. B2B creators offer peer validation and provide social proof. 𝟯) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 61% of B2B marketing leaders are already increasing creator spend. LinkedIn has built the tools to support this shift: • Thought Leader Ads drive 1.7x higher CTR • BrandLink just launched • Brand disclosure have been built in This feels like YouTube in 2010. The attention is there. The value is still underestimated. 𝗨𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. So, the solution is to partner with trusted voices. Because, it’s not about reach. It’s not about impressions. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. The people your buyers follow shape what they trust. They shift behavior. They drive the decisions that matter. ------ 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁? ♻️ Repost to your network & follow Brendan Gahan for more. Interested in Influencer Marketing for B2B & LinkedIn? Reach out to us at Creator Authority

The # 1 reason buyers choose a vendor? It’s not ROI. Not the product. Nope, not even price. It’s defensibility. LinkedIn’s new global study of 750 senior B2B buyers - Buyability: The Future of B2B Marketing Success - found that the top drivers of decisions are: “Can I justify this?” “Can I defend it if it fails?” Mimi Turner, LinkedIn’s head of marketplace innovation, puts it simply: “Defensibility is more important than utility.” I mean, this isn’t new. The “no one gets fired for buying IBM” energy still rules. But B2B companies keep making it worse: - Hiding pricing - Extravagant claims with no proof - One-off case studies framed as the norm - Copy that needs a buzzword translator The study outlines 5 emotional drivers of “buyability”: 1. Confidence it’ll work 2. Ease of the decision 3. Internal alignment 4. Managing the downsides  5. Defending the choice if it fails That last one topping the list. So what makes a risky choice safe? Peer validation. Recommendations from “people like me” were 3x more influential than price or performance. So if your landing page is missing: - Credible proof - Named logos from similar ICPs - Clear, reusable copy for internal convos Then, no amount of CTA tests and layout changes will change anything. Your focus should be on helping the buyer justify the purchase AND cover their ass if things go south. 

Just read LinkedIn's new 2025 B2B Marketing Benchmark report, and it has some fascinating insights that confirm a belief I've held for a while: the game is all about trust. They surveyed 1,500 B2B marketers, and the findings are super clear. Here are my big takeaways: 🤝 Social proof is your superpower. Peer recommendations and customer stories carry more weight than your product's features or price. We need to treat customer advocacy as a core part of our brand strategy, not just a sales tactic. 🎯 Be famous where it counts. Being a trusted, well-known name within your specific category is twice as important as general brand fame. It's about winning over the right people, not all the people. 🏆 Quality over quantity wins deals. The report found that smarter lead scoring closes more deals than just generating more leads. It's about finding the best-fit prospects, not just filling the top of the funnel. The whole report really hammers home that trust isn't just a tactic; it’s the entire strategy. Building that trust through social proof and deep category relevance is the real game-changer. It's a great read with a lot more detail. Definitely recommend checking it out! https://lnkd.in/g_Evi5hw

More trust = more revenue. 81% of B2B buyers say trust is the biggest factor in their purchasing decision.  Why does this number matter? In B2B prospects have almost unlimited options these days. Decision-makers are swamped with potential vendors with almost identical features. Every vendors says they can save you time and money and drive revenue. But prospects are skeptical of these claims and they all start to sound like noise. What solution they ultimately choose usually comes down to who they trust the most. IE which vendors can credibly prove, beyond a doubt, that they've delivered results in the exact same scenario (same industry, same company size, same problem/use-case). So, how do you build that trust? The two easiest ways I have found: > Clarity and consistency: Be upfront about what your service can deliver and follow through. Own who your solution is NOT for, and where your comparative strengths and weaknesses are. Show an honest snapshot of what it's like to be a customer. Not a curated Instagram real. > Lower the risk: Share customer evidence like competitive proof (why customers switch from other vendors, what makes you different), relevant, specific examples of common use cases from your customers, and quantifiable statistics about product impact and ROI. Substantive and comprehensive customer proof helps buyers trust that you can deliver on what you are promising. The more relevant, specific, and detailed, the better. Trust isn't a nice-to-have anymore; it's a must-have. Trust is the currency that drives transactions. Build trust, close deals.