How to Build Trust Instead of Relying on Brochures

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

Trust doesn't come from your accomplishments. It comes from quiet moves like these: For years I thought I needed more experience, achievements, and wins to earn trust. But real trust isn't built through credentials. It's earned in small moments, consistent choices, and subtle behaviors that others notice - even when you think they don't. Here are 15 quiet moves that instantly build trust 👇🏼 1. You close open loops, catching details others miss ↳ Send 3-bullet wrap-ups after meetings. Reliability builds. 2. You name tension before it gets worse ↳ Name what you sense: "The energy feels different today" 3. You speak softly in tense moments ↳ Lower your tone slightly when making key points. Watch others lean in. 4. You stay calm when others panic, leading with stillness ↳ Take three slow breaths before responding. Let your calm spread. 5. You make space for quiet voices ↳ Ask "What perspective haven't we heard yet?", then wait. 6. You remember and reference what others share ↳ Keep a Key Details note for each relationship in your phone. 7. You replace "but" with "and" to keep doors open ↳ Practice "I hear you, and here's what's possible" 8. You show up early with presence and intention ↳ Close laptop, turn phone face down 2 minutes before others arrive. 9. You speak up for absent team members ↳ Start with "X made an important point about this last week" 10. You turn complaints into possibility ↳ Replace "That won't work" with "Let's experiment with..." 11. You build in space for what really matters ↳ Block 10 min buffers between meetings. Others will follow. 12. You keep small promises to build trust bit by bit ↳ Keep a "promises made" note in your phone. Track follow-through. 13. You protect everyone's time, not just your own ↳ End every meeting 5 minutes early. Set the standard. 14. You ask questions before jumping to fixes ↳ Lead with "What have you tried so far?" before suggesting solutions. 15. You share credit for wins and own responsibility for misses ↳ Use "we" for successes, "I" for challenges. Watch trust grow. Your presence speaks louder than your resume. Trust is earned in these quiet moments. Which move will you practice first? Share below 👇🏼 -- ♻️ Repost to help your network build authentic trust without the struggle 🔔 Follow me Dr. Carolyn Frost for more strategies on leading with quiet impact

After closing dozens of deals over the years, I can confidently say that trust isn’t built through a pitch. It’s built through presence. I used to think trust came after results. Now I know: trust creates results, and it starts way before the contract is signed. Some of the best client relationships I’ve built didn’t begin with sales calls. They started with conversations about life, not business. Listening actively and showing empathy have opened more doors for me than any cold outreach strategy ever could. Sometimes, deals were closed not because of what I offered, but because someone felt understood. If you’re an early-stage founder or own a business at a scaling stage, here’s something worth building into your daily practice: ..1..  Listen Actively Let people feel heard, not just responded to. Put away assumptions and give your full attention; it changes the energy of the entire conversation. ..2.. Show Empathy Relate to their challenges as a human, not just a service provider. Shared experiences build emotional bridges that no pitch deck can match. ..3.. Offer Value Don’t just deliver, overdeliver. I’ve built trust by underpromising and then exceeding expectations with small surprises that mattered. ..4.. Personalize Communication Generic messages are forgettable. Tailoring your language and approach shows your client they’re more than just another name on your list. ..5.. Be Dependable Trust grows when you do what you say. Be reliable in your words, timelines, and tone; especially when no one’s watching. Trust is slow-earned but long-lasting, and it’s your biggest asset. What’s helped you build trust with potential clients? I’d love to hear your perspective. Remember, if your marketing isn’t building trust, it’s just noise. I help founders turn clarity, empathy, and strategy into real growth. If you’re ready to build trust and scale, let’s connect. #AskQueJay #ClientTrust #EarlyStageFounders #EcommerceGrowth #RelationshipMarketing #MarketingStrategy 

Your customers don’t trust you (yet)… here’s how to fix that. Earning trust isn’t about flashy marketing or big promises— it’s about what you do every single day. Here’s the thing: Without trust, your business is running on fumes. Customers are smarter than ever. They can spot insincerity from a mile away. And if they don’t trust you or worse, if they don’t feel valued they’ll go elsewhere. So how do you earn their trust, make them feel truly valued, and create engagement that keeps them coming back? Here’s what works: 1. Start by listening (and act on what you hear).   * Run surveys, host focus groups, or jump on 1:1 calls with your customers.   * Pay attention to their pain points, frustrations, and needs.   * Most importantly: Implement their feedback. Listening without action destroys trust faster than ignoring them altogether. 2. Personalize every interaction.   * Address your customers by name.   * Tailor your messaging, offers, or coaching to meet their unique needs.   * Remember: No one wants to feel like a number in your CRM. 3. Be transparent—even when it’s uncomfortable.   * Made a mistake? Own it immediately.   * Raising prices? Explain why.   * Customers value honesty, even when the truth is hard to hear. 4. Engage meaningfully by creating value.   * Share free resources, Q&As, or tips they can use immediately.   * Celebrate their wins—whether big or small.   * Build community spaces for connection (think LinkedIn groups, Slack, or live events). 5. Go above and beyond with small, thoughtful gestures.   * Send handwritten thank-you notes.   * Offer surprise perks, like early access or exclusive discounts.   * Follow up on personal details they’ve shared with you (yes, remembering their kid’s soccer game matters). 6. Stay consistent.   * Deliver on your promises every time.   * Focus on quality over quantity—customers will forgive a missed update, but not mediocrity.   * Regularly measure satisfaction and make improvements where needed. Building trust isn’t rocket science—but it does take effort. Focus on these six steps, and you won’t just earn trust. You’ll build relationships that last a lifetime. Which of these are you already doing?
 Let me know in the comments I’d love to hear how you earn your customers’ trust. ♻️ Share if you wan to build trust in your market 🔔 Follow Mike Hays for more trust tips.

Most enterprise deals don’t start with sales decks — they start with behind-the-scenes conversations.  When execs are scouting vendors, they’re not browsing ads.  They’re swapping names in private Slack channels, group chats, and closed-door dinners.  The key currency in these conversations?  Trust.  And trust rarely comes from a case study. It comes from familiarity. From being known and liked by the right people. But if you’re not a household name, how do you earn that trust? You build real relationships - by showing up where your buyers are, offering value with no strings attached, and getting talked about in the rooms you’re not in. In-person connection is gold, but it doesn’t scale.  So, here’s how execs can build trust at scale: ➔ Partner with respected voices to create content (webinars, podcasts, etc.)  ➔ Host intimate, invite-only dinners — fewer people, more impact  ➔ Publish research that your buyers want to share internally  ➔ Create small, private peer groups with zero sales agenda  ➔ Spotlight your most passionate users at industry events  ➔ Host off-the-record virtual roundtables with meaningful conversation  ➔ Build an executive voice in channels where your audience pays attention Trust travels. Make sure it’s going in your direction! #B2BMarketing #B2B #Trust #MarketingStrategy 

You can delegate a task. You can’t delegate a relationship. At a recent meeting, we were discussing how to strengthen our relationships with doctors, whose post-op patients could benefit from our rehab services at The Wisdom Club. It reminded me of 2004, when we were setting up our Kandivali centre. My friend and senior, Dr. Ajay Hariani, MS/MCH in Plastic Surgery, already established in Kandivali, took time out to make introductions for me. While we both were post-graduates, it didn’t stop us from sitting in waiting rooms of doctors to make the proper introductions and apprise them of what Suburban stood for. Each evening at 7pm, after finishing work at the Andheri lab, I would take a 16km drive to Kandivali. From 8 to 10pm, I’d visit clinics, meet doctors, and introduce what we were building. This wasn’t for a week or two. I did it for over six months. There was no playbook. Just consistency. There was no team to delegate to. Just commitment. That experience taught me something I still believe today: Relationships aren’t tasks, they’re investments. And they only compound when made directly. Because if someone’s going to trust you with their patient’s care, they need to trust you first, then your team and then your brand. And trust like that doesn’t come from a pitch. It comes from presence. It may be tempting to leave to others or use tools and systems for outreach; but I believe trust builds better when we show up, listen, and be there personally, even if it’s an effort. If someone trusts you with their patient, it’s never just about the service. It’s about who you are, and whether you will show up when it matters. Here’s what I’ve learned: ↳ If the relationship isn’t personal, it’s temporary. ↳ If the trust is built through someone else, it belongs to them, not to you. ↳ When they move on, the relationship moves with them. In any business, the most enduring relationships are the ones you build yourself. PS: If you're serious about building something long-term, roll up your sleeves to get to it. #buildingabusiness #entrepreneurship #sales #businessrelationships

Most client relationships fail before they start. Here’s my system for building trust every time. But before that, let me give you a backstory first. When I started, I thought getting clients was a numbers game: • Send enough cold emails. • Get enough leads. • Seal enough deals. But it wasn’t long before I realized: That mindset was broken. And the results? • Mediocre work. • Short-term relationships. • No real connection. Then I flipped the script. I stopped treating clients like transactions. I started treating them like people. And everything changed. Think about the last time you felt truly understood: • Maybe it was a friend who listened - really listened. • Or a mentor who saw something in you that even you didn’t see. It felt good, didn’t it? • You felt valued. • You felt heard. Now imagine being a client. • You’re juggling problems. • Trying to grow. Trying to survive. And every service you’re offered feels… the same. Another one-size-fits-all solution. But then you meet someone different: 1. They ask questions no one else does. 2. They listen. 3. They take the time to understand your goals. And only then do they craft a solution that feels like it was made just for you. That’s when you know you’ve found someone good. This is what separates okay service providers from the ones people never stop recommending. And here's how I suggest you can be that person: Step 1 - Ask better questions. What’s their biggest pain point? What does success look like to them? Step 2 - Customize your approach. Forget cookie-cutter solutions. Show them you’ve built something with their needs in mind. Step 3 - Stay curious. Their business evolves. So should your understanding. So always try to learn more about them and their business. Always take the time to truly know your clients. Because that's when you solve real problems, and not just provide a service. And when they win? You win too. So stop chasing numbers. And start building relationships. It’s the fastest way to grow something real. —— ✍ Question: What’s one way you’ve built trust with your clients from day one? #Business #Founders #Contract #Law #entrepreneurs

You don’t catch whales with a fishing rod. That’s what I understood after working 6 years with high-ticket clients. You need a system built with credibility, clarity, and consistency. If you’re trying to attract high-ticket clients on LinkedIn by posting “tips and tricks,” you’re doing it wrong. High-ticket clients aren’t looking for short experiments. They’re looking for partners who get business results. If your service fee is premium, your content and positioning need to reflect that value. Don’t worry, I am not leaving you at that, let’s see how can you actually build that. 🔹 Position before promotion. Don’t just post content, rather build a brand. Talk to pain points that matter to decision-makers: revenue growth, process efficiency, thought leadership. 🔹 Don’t teach. Demonstrate. Everyone is “adding value.” Few are proving it. Show transformation with numbers- “Helped a coach 3x her visibility in 60 days.” “Generated 187 leads for a dental clinic in 3 weeks.” That’s what converts. Because let’s face it, ROI is everything! Right? 🔹 Consistency isn’t optional. No matter how much cliched this looks but consistency is definitely non-negotiable. People buy when they trust. And trust is built over 7–10 brand interactions. Your content shouldn’t be “random inspiration.” on a Tuesday, but a part of a brand building routine. 🔹 Speak to one, not everyone. Your dream client should scroll and say, “This was written for me.” Identify your ICP and speak what might catch their attention specifically. Remember, if your content sounds like a brochure, it won’t bring boardroom clients. #aashified #linkedinbranding #marketing #personalbranding

Why your "brochure" posts on LinkedIn won’t make any impact The brochure. It’s a relic from the analogue world The idea of a brochure is that I will tell you everything about my product And you will get really excited and ring me up and buy But with all the brochures that have been created, has that really translated into calls for your products? Of course not We just need to change the messaging, I hear you saying Can a couple of pages of A4 really change your mind and excite you, of course not. It is an unrealistic expectation A brochure can never tell me about something I don’t understand And I won’t read the brochure as it will say “buy my product because we are great” This is the same when you post brochures, product descriptions, case studies, photos of sales kick offs, award ceremonies…. Nobody, apart from the people who work in your company and your life partner, cares And you know this as you are posting them and nobody is phoning you What you sell and what I sell needs a conversation How about if you started sharing insight, something that can help me as a buyer? How about if you started sharing content about you as a person so I can start building a relationship and trust with you? How about if you see content as a strategic way to prospect and start conversations? After all conversations, not brochures create sales! #SocialSelling #Sales #Marketing #Leadership #Leads