Building Trust for Late Majority Customers

This story ends with double the foot traffic. But it starts with jackhammers at 6AM, Angry neighbors, And a brand one complaint away from a PR crisis. Zara was building their NYC store. And the noise? Relentless. Locals were furious. Ready to boycott. But Zara didn’t issue a press release. They didn’t send a formal apology. They rolled up a food truck. Handed out cookies. Poured hot coffee. And simply said: “We know this is rough. Thanks for your patience.” The next day? Foot traffic doubled. No gimmicks. No marketing copy. Just care. Delivered on time and in person. And here’s the kicker: This works in B2B too. → A SaaS company recorded 45-second Loom videos for every impacted user during an outage. Result? Record-high NPS and 35% reduction in churn. → A chemical supplier added a handwritten note to every delayed order: “We know change is hard. We appreciate the trust more than you know.” Reorders jumped by 22%. → A manufacturing firm gave their client’s team Uber credits when a rushed install went late into the night. That client? Became a referral engine. Care isn’t just a “value.” It’s a lever. It builds pipeline before attribution. It builds trust before the pitch. It builds brands that last. Want to stand out? Stop automating empathy. Start showing up where it hurts. 🎥VC: badmarketing #SalesAndMarketing #RevenueGrowth #CustomerExperience #JuddBorakoveStyle 

$47 BILLION in carts abandoned last year. (Not because of the high price or shipping cost.) Because of unanswered questions at 11:47 PM. After analyzing thousands of checkout sessions at Amenexia.ai, I discovered something brutal: Every abandoned cart has a silent question behind it. Right there, credit card half-typed, they're wondering: "What if it doesn't fit?" "Is this site even legit?" "Can I return this easily?" "How long will this really take?" Your return policy is buried in small print. Your FAQ is 3 clicks away. Your chat is offline. Customers are not leaving because they don't want your product. Customers are leaving because their doubt grew faster than desire. Here's what actually works: Instead of optimizing for more traffic, optimize for that final second of hesitation. Put answers where anxiety lives: → "2-3 days delivery to [their city]" at checkout → "Free returns, no questions" next to the buy button → "347 people bought this safely today" by payment fields → "Still unsure? Here's what others asked..." as they hover One client added a simple line: "Yes, this works with [product they viewed earlier]" Conversions jumped 23%. Because at 11:47 PM, your customer doesn't need a salesperson. They need to trust you. Stop optimizing traffic. Start optimizing doubt. The sale isn't lost to competitors. It's lost to questions you never knew they had. PS. When do you usually shop online - morning or late night?

In today's competitive marketplace, products can be copied, prices can be matched, and features can quickly become commodities. What cannot be easily replicated is trust. This infographic highlights ten powerful sales phrases that build credibility, strengthen relationships, and shift conversations from selling to helping. Notably, none of these phrases focus on pushing a product—they focus on understanding the customer. Key Lessons from These Trust-Building Phrases: 🔹 Listen before you recommend One of the most effective phrases is: "I want to make sure I fully understand—can I repeat this back to you?" This demonstrates active listening and ensures the customer feels heard before any solution is presented. 🔹 Lead with honesty Trust grows when sales professionals openly discuss limitations, not just strengths. "I'll be direct—here's where this might fall short." Customers appreciate transparency because it reduces uncertainty and increases credibility. 🔹 Respect the customer's expertise The best salespeople don't position themselves as the smartest person in the room. "You're the expert in your world—I'm here to help." This creates collaboration instead of confrontation. 🔹 Translate features into value Customers care less about technical specifications and more about business outcomes. "Here's what that means in plain English..." Simplifying complexity builds confidence and accelerates decision-making. 🔹 Remove pressure One of the strongest trust signals is giving customers permission to say no. "It's totally okay if this isn't the right fit." Ironically, reducing pressure often increases trust and improves buying decisions. The Bigger Message: Modern sales is no longer about persuasion. It is about: ✅ Understanding before proposing ✅ Listening before presenting ✅ Educating before selling ✅ Creating value before asking for commitment The highest-performing sales professionals understand that every interaction either builds trust or erodes it. When trust becomes the priority, revenue becomes the outcome. As sales leaders, our goal should not be to close more deals at any cost. Our goal should be to become trusted advisors who help customers make better decisions. Which of these trust-building phrases do you believe has the greatest impact in a customer conversation?

"We love your work, but we’re going with someone else." A fabricator told me that after losing a job they thought was locked in. The pricing was competitive. The turnaround time was solid. The materials were top-notch. So what went wrong? The customer didn’t feel confident. 💬 “The other company just seemed more organized.” 💬 “We didn’t want to risk delays.” 💬 “We felt more comfortable with them.” I see this happen often. Shops thinking customers choose based on price, when in reality, they’re buying certainty. ✅ Will this project be done on time, or will delays mess up the entire remodel? ✅ Will it turn out how they envisioned, or will they regret the decision every time they walk into the room? ✅ Will they feel good about their investment five years from now? The best fabricators don’t just install countertops—they eliminate doubt. Here’s how you do it: ✔️ Set clear expectations early. A simple project timeline can eliminate doubts before they even arise. ✔️ Show proof. Testimonials, before-and-after photos, and real customer experiences make it easier for people to trust you. ✔️ Communicate proactively. Don’t wait for them to follow up—be the one keeping them informed. I worked with a fabricator who made one small shift: they started showing customers a simple project timeline with real-time updates. Same price. Same turnaround. But customers felt in control. Their close rate went up. Their margins improved. And suddenly, price wasn’t the deciding factor anymore. If you're stuck competing on price, ask yourself—what’s one thing you can do today to make customers feel certain before they even ask the first question? Let’s figure it out. Drop your thoughts below or DM me if you want to talk about building trust with your future customers. #Fabricators #CustomerTrust #StoneIndustry #KitchenDesign #HomeRemodeling #BusinessGrowth #SalesStrategy #CustomerExperience

The issue was resolved. The customer said, “Thank you.” And the conversation ended. At least… that’s what most businesses think. But strong customer relationships are not built during the complaint. They are built after. That small follow-up message? It changes everything. → “Hi [Name], just checking if everything is okay now.” Simple. But powerful. Because customers remember businesses that remember them. Especially in fintech. People are not just trusting you with transactions. They are trusting you with peace of mind. A follow-up says: ✓ “You matter beyond the case number.” ✓ “We didn’t disappear after solving the issue.” ✓ “Your experience still matters to us.” The truth is: Most brands stop communicating the moment the ticket closes. That’s where loyalty quietly disappears. The best relationship managers understand this differently. → Check in after 24 hours. → Follow up after a few days for sensitive issues. → Call occasionally without trying to sell. Not every interaction should feel transactional. Sometimes people stay because of how you made them feel after the problem was solved. That is what builds retention. That is what builds trust. And that is what customers never forget. 🔁 Repost and share Ann Murungi Helping businesses create clear, human customer experiences that build trust and retention.

Building Trust, Not Just Features: A Product Mandate for Africa’s Informal Economy. #WeeklyInsights As product managers that building for farmers, traders and last-mile users in Africa, we often get obsessed with making things users love. But in these markets, building trust is more fundamental. The truth is many users in the informal sector, like a chili farmer like Christiana in Sogakope or an aggregator like Kudus in Northern Ghana, don’t care how “delightful” your UI is if they’re unsure: • If they’ll get paid on time. • If the weather alert is accurate. • If their data will be safe from misuse. • If the promised fertilizer will arrive before planting season. In markets where formal institutions have failed and digital literacy is uneven, product trust is the entire value proposition. You are not just designing a tool. You are designing belief in a system that often hasn’t earned it yet. So what does it take to build software users trust? This framework by @Rich Diviney is incredibly helpful — the 4 elements of trust: 1. Competency – Are you capable of delivering what you say? 2. Consistency – Do you show up the same way every time? 3. Reliability – Can users count on you, especially when things go wrong? 4. Integrity – Do you honor your word, even when it’s inconvenient? These aren’t just philosophical ideals, they’re design and product management mandates. At Complete Farmer, this is how we build trust with our users: 1. Competency: Investing in research to develop crop cultivation protocols for farmers to ensure they meet international buyer demands requires lots agronomic competency and data. 2. Consistency: We learned to publish input delivery schedules publicly in community WhatsApp groups (not just in the app) because consistency builds trust in informal ecosystems. 3. Reliability: We realized showing weather forecasts wasn’t enough. We added local-language voice alerts because some farmers couldn’t read the app but still needed to trust when to plant. 4. Integrity: When a logistics delay happened, we didn’t spin it. We owned the error and called each lead farmer. Integrity meant more than shipping. For product managers in Africa, this is our challenge: Don’t just chase “delight.” Build trust through transparency, humility, and usefulness. That’s what unlocks adoption. That’s what scales. Because in the informal sector, trust is the bridge between intention and impact. Let’s build it. Thanks to Maya Horgan Famodu for inspiring this insight by introducing this framework to the Complete Farmer team today in our team meeting. #ProductManagement #TrustByDesign #Agritech #LastMileInnovation #startups #CompleteFarmer #TechForGood #UserResearch #DigitalInclusion #ProductStrategy #TechinAfrica

You’re the new AE on the account. Congrats! So, you send an email like this: “Hi Linda, this Devon and I’m the new AE aligned to Acme. I see that you’re the main admin on the account. Can we find some time next week to connect?” Guess what, your customer doesn’t care... because here’s what they’re thinking: ‘This our 3rd AE in 2 years. They are going to ask how we’re using the tool, we have to explain everything again and then they're going to try to sell us something.’ Yes, that's what they typically think 👆 ………………….......... If you want to build trust and credibility, fast, do 2 things: 1. Come prepared Start by getting context internally. Talk to the previous account team (AE, CSM, SE, PS, rnwls) to understand the history of the account. Listen to past call recordings and review CRM notes so you know what’s already been discussed and where things stand. Next, understand how the customer is actually using the product. Look at key use cases, problems they’ve solved with platform, and results they’ve achieved. Review support tickets, feature requests, and any product gaps they’ve raised. Finally, study the account itself. Look at usage and adoption data, connect with any SI or partner relationships, and map out whitespace. Identify areas where there may be room to expand value without forcing it. 2. Use something I call the 3 pillar approach on the first call Start by acknowledging the obvious: “I know having another AE isn’t ideal. Rest assured, I’ve taken time to speak with internal teams and get a clear picture of your environment, use cases, and priorities. My goal is to make this as seamless a process for you.” Then walk them through something that I call the "3 pillars", to reset the foundation of the relationship: 1️⃣ Ensure they get the best customer experience “Whether it’s with me, your account team, or support, I want to ensure you're getting the best customer experience with our brand. If it’s ever not, please let me know so we can fix it.” 2️⃣ Help them get the most out of their investment “You’ve put your trust in us, already making a significant investment in the platform. I want to make sure you maximize the value of what you have, so you can make the most of it (e.g. whether that’s adoption, new use cases, etc)." 3️⃣ Strengthen the partnership, together “You and the team continue to see value in the platform. We’ve appreciated the partnership over the years. Given that, if we see areas across your's or other business units that we believe could bring value, I'd like to work with you and the team to explore and support." .................................... Come in with knowledge and lead with trust, you'll build credibility right off the bat.

Most buyers aren’t buying. They’re not refreshing their inbox hoping for your pitch, and they’re not waiting for your next campaign. The reality is, 95% of your audience isn’t in-market. They’re just living their lives; working, scrolling, making decisions that have nothing to do with your product or service. And yet, this is where most brands fail. They focus all their energy on the 5% who are ready to buy now. It’s short-term thinking driven by pressure to perform and a fixation on funnels. However, the real opportunity lies in the 95%, those who aren’t ready yet but will be someday. This is where brand matters. It’s about showing up consistently with content that’s useful, emotionally resonant, and distinctive. Not to sell, but to connect. Not to push, but to be present. Because when that 95% is ready, on their terms, they’ll remember who showed up without asking for anything in return. Trust isn’t built when someone’s ready to buy. It’s built long before that. If you’re still focused on the 5%, it might be time to rethink your strategy. Start with trust. Start with brand. Start showing up.

𝗔 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 A few years ago, while working closely with our China distributor, I noticed something interesting. He wasn’t always chasing deals. He wasn’t always pushing proposals. But his pipeline was consistently 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺. When I asked him what he did differently, his answer was simple: “𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝟱 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆 — 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹.” No quotation request. No follow-up pressure. No agenda. Just a conversation. He explained that these calls helped him:  • Stay visible  • Build trust over time  • Understand what’s actually happening on the shop floor Most sales teams do the opposite. They call:  ❌ When a target is slipping ❌ When a quarter is closing ❌ When they need an order urgently And customers can sense that immediately. I started applying the same habit:  ✔ Regular check-in calls ✔ Conversations without a pitch ✔ Listening more than talking ✔ Focusing on relationships, not transactions Slowly, something changed. Customers started calling me first. Opportunities surfaced earlier. Sales discussions became easier — because trust was already built. It reminded me of something Zig Ziglar once said: “𝙄𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪.” 𝗠𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Consistency builds familiarity. Familiarity builds trust. Trust builds pipeline. If you only show up when you need an order, you’re already late. 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀: Don’t call customers only to sell. Call to stay relevant. Do you have a regular, non-sales touchpoint habit with your customers — or do you mostly reach out when there’s a deal on the table? 👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments. #SalesLeadership #SalesLessons #CustomerRelationships

Buyers don’t buy from the best pitch. They buy from the rep they trust the most. The Trust Gap is real. 88% of buyers purchase only when they see the seller as a trusted advisor. Yet just 32% consider sales a trustworthy profession. What’s creating this gap? - Risk-aversion: Buyers stick with the “safe” vendor they used last year. - Digital self-service: They ghost after a free trial instead of engaging. - Distrust in vendor content: “Your ROI deck feels like marketing buzzwords.” - Transparency doubts: Pricing pushback, security checklist stonewalls. - Short-term sales behaviors: End-of-quarter discounts erode credibility. Here’s the good news: reps can close this gap. And it starts with confidence — the kind that comes from preparation, practice, and showing up with insight, not interrogation. That means: - Clarifying the outcome of every call. - Doing your research so you show up with perspective. - Leading with curiosity and layered questions. - Using peer stories and metrics to transfer belief without hype. - Committing to the next step with mutual clarity. A rep I work with recently told me: “I’m asking all the questions, but the prospect isn’t giving meaningful answers… so I just gave the basic demo and hoped something would catch their attention.” I’m sure you can guess how that opportunity ended. Without insight, without preparation, the conversation felt transactional. The buyer stayed guarded. Trust never built. Build trust by being a professional. Understand your buyer, their company, their goals, and their challenges. Deliver insights through relevant stories drawn from your research and preparation. You don’t have to be right in your perspective — you just need A Perspective. When you share it, buyers will either align with it or push against it. Either way, you go deeper. You earn a real conversation instead of an interrogation. Trust is built in the quality of your conversation, not the quantity of your questions. Show up prepared. Lead with insight. Make the buyer the hero of their story. How do you create trust with your buyer?