How to avoid trust erosion in B2B products

Trust isn't complicated. But most people get it wrong. Let me explain. I analyzed 500+ sales conversations and found something shocking: The highest-performing reps weren't using fancy trust-building techniques. They were using these 3 simple triggers that nobody talks about: 1. Real-time validation 🚫 Not customer logos 🚫 Not case studies 🚫 Not testimonials But showing prospects LIVE: → Who's viewing their content right now → Questions others are asking → Active engagement metrics Result? 73% higher meeting show rates. 2. Reverse referrals Instead of asking for referrals, document exactly: → How others found you → Their specific journey → Their exact results I tested this with 50 prospects: ✅ 41% response rate ✅ 28% meeting rate ✅ 19% close rate 3. Ambient reassurance Small, consistent actions that build trust: → Weekly performance updates → Public progress tracking → Regular capability proof My team's results: ✅ Trust scores up 47% ✅ Sales cycle shortened by 31% ✅ Close rates increased 22% Here's what nobody tells you: Trust isn't built through big gestures. It's built through small, consistent actions that prove you're reliable. I implemented these triggers last quarter: → Pipeline increased 52% → Close rate jumped 31% → Average deal size up 27% I’ve broken down this full framework above so you can study it, save it, and start applying it immediately. Remember: While others focus on complex trust-building strategies, these simple triggers consistently outperform. Ready to transform your trust-building approach? Let's connect. #SalesStrategy #TrustBuilding #B2BSales #GrowthHacking #RevenueLeadership

Last Tuesday, I watched a $1M software deal die in real time. The champion texted the AE afterward, "My team killed it. They loved the product, trusted the ROI, but said you felt too 'risky' for a company our size." Six months of perfect demos. Strong case studies. Pricing that made sense. But they'd been focused on one person while eight others were making the real decision. In B2B, deals often die from collective anxiety. Your champion can love your solution, but if the CFO, IT director, and three VPs have never heard of you, you're asking them to bet their careers on a company that feels invisible. What we call "trust" in B2B is actually cumulative familiarity across a buying group. It's not one person feeling confident, it's 6-8 people independently thinking, "Oh yeah, I've seen them around. They seem solid." This is where many B2B marketers leave money on the table. We optimize for the champions and decision makers while the real decision happens in rooms we're not invited to. Connected TV (CTV) helps solve for this. That CFO who questioned your pricing? Last night, they saw your 30-second spot during their favorite show. No laptop multitasking. No ad blockers. Just your brand message on a 65-inch screen while they're mentally relaxed. Your IT director saw your retargeting banner during their morning research. Your LinkedIn ad during lunch. Your CTV spot during their evening unwind. That's not multiple touch points. That's one familiarity campaign reaching different decision-makers in different mindsets. Our data at LinkedIn for Marketing shows this opportunity: - 94% of LinkedIn's professional audience can be reached via CTV, - 71% of CTV viewers aren't accessible through traditional TV, - CTV campaigns are 4.3x more effective at reaching B2B targets. Psychologist Robert Zajonc proved that mere exposure creates preference. We don't need to consciously process your message. Seeing your brand repeatedly in different contexts builds what behavioral economist Rory Sutherland calls "subconscious safety signals." When your champion walks into that second meeting, something's different. Your brand doesn't feel new anymore. It feels familiar. "Oh yeah, I've been seeing their ads everywhere" carries more weight than any case study. Because buying groups evaluate solutions and risk. Start building familiarity across ecosystems. Map your buying group. Understand where each decision-maker consumes content. Then orchestrate exposure across channels so by the time they meet to decide, you're not the unknown risk, you're the obvious choice. Because in B2B, trust is built through strategic, repeated presence across the moments that matter. #B2BMarketing #CTV #Trust #LinkedInMarketing

In the last 10 years, I managed over 100 accounts myself and probably interacted with over 2000 that my team manages. After building 100s of relationships, I've discovered something surprising. Trust isn't built through grand gestures or perfect presentations. It's built through consistency. Research shows when B2B customers view a vendor as a trusted adviser, they generate 1.5x greater revenue and are 2.5x more likely to repurchase. But here's the shocking part: only 31% of B2B customers believe their vendors truly understand their needs. This gap isn't just concerning, it's a massive opportunity. There are four pillars that transform ordinary vendor relationships into unbreakable partnerships. 1 - Competence Not just expertise, but applied knowledge that solves real problems. As Samuel☔️ Thimothy wisely noted, "Your goal as a business is to prove to your customers that you're their best shot." 2 - Integrity In B2B, where multiple stakeholders are involved, ethical consistency isn't optional, it's essential for survival. 3 - Reliability Meeting deadlines isn't just about calendar management, it's about proving your client can build their success on your foundation. 4. Empathy Understanding your client's business as if it were your own. This isn't just good service; it's good business. I recently read the story of a global packaging supplier who revolutionized their approach by creating a dedicated insights department. Instead of just delivering products, they delivered market intelligence. The result? Their customers now view them as indispensable partners, not interchangeable vendors. Building trust isn't an event, it's a daily practice. It's delivering slightly more than promised, consistently over time. It's acknowledging mistakes quickly. It's celebrating your clients' wins as if they were your own. Kelly Van Arsdale put it perfectly: "The more reliable and professional you can be, the more likely someone is to continue being a customer." What's one small consistency you could implement tomorrow that would build trust with your clients? Share in the comments, I'd love to learn from your experience. __ ♻️ Reshare this post if it can help others! __ ▶️ Want to see more content like this? You should join 2297+ members in the Tidbits WhatsApp Community! 💥 [link in the comments section]