Building Trust in Post-COVID Marketing

There's never been a time in history (on record) where consumer trust has been as low as it is right now. Consumers do not trust the businesses selling to them. What caused this? - Carelessness with customer data - Misleading product/service claims - Ignoring customer's sustainability concerns - Influencer marketing - Poor customer experience/customer service Businesses of every size that have put profits BEFORE people created this decline. And it's time to turn things around. Here's how: 1. Make customer service a priority Prioritize timely, courteous, and effective solutions to customer inquiries and problems. Strong customer service often turns a one-time customer into a loyal fan of your brand. 2. Promote authenticity and transparency Be honest about your products/services, including potential drawbacks. This candidness helps build trust and sets realistic expectations with customers. 3. Share customer feedback Regularly display real customer reviews and testimonials, both positive and negative. This shows that you value customer input and are committed to continuous improvement. (Your Google Business Profile is a great place to do this.) 4. Connect with customers (And I don't mean have the robot do it) Engage directly with customers through personalized communications and face-to-face interactions whenever possible. People are craving genuine human connections, not robots. 5. Invest in your team members A knowledgeable and motivated team offers better service. They are the face and voice of the business's customer experience. They are the ones responsible for building trust in your brand. Provide regular training & development opportunities, and don't forget that recognition and incentivizing their hard work goes a long way in building a strong culture that serves your customers well. 6. Track the metrics that align with trust What gets measured gets managed. Monitor and measure KPIs such as customer satisfaction, retention rates, and response times. Knowing your numbers will guide improvements and demonstrate your commitment to building trust with customers. 7. Regularly ask for feedback Actively seek customer opinions on how your business can improve. This not only provides valuable insights but also shows that you are responsive and care about their needs. Trust is paramount in running and growing a sustainable business. When you put people FIRST, the profits inevitably follow. Are you prioritizing trust building within your business? What are you doing? Tell me 👇

I warmed up a prospect for 3 months on LinkedIn before our first call. They signed a £75K deal in 3 days. Modern selling demands a new approach: cold outreach fails, warm relationships win. Think about it... That prospect had consumed 47 of my posts. Watched my videos. Read my articles. Engaged with my content. By the time we jumped on that first call? They already trusted me. They already knew my approach. They already understood the value. I didn't have to sell them. They'd already sold themselves. Here's my framework for turning content into closed deals: 👇 1. Build trust at scale BEFORE the pitch Stop spraying and praying with cold messages. Start building relationships through value. Each post builds trust. Your insights mark credibility. Stories create connection. Your content is doing the heavy lifting while you sleep. 2. Let buyers self-educate on THEIR timeline Modern buyers don't want to be sold to. They want to discover solutions themselves. ↳ 70% of the buying journey happens before they talk to sales ↳ They're researching you before you even know they exist ↳ Your content is either attracting or repelling them Give them what they need to make informed decisions. 3. Recognize the REAL buying signals Forget MQLs and SQLs. Think about PQLs (product qualified leads) Here's what actually matters: - Multiple engagements across different posts - Bringing colleagues into the conversation - Asking specific, detailed questions - Moving from public comments to private messages These aren't leads. These are pre-qualified buyers. 4. Keep momentum BETWEEN meetings Here's where most deals die: The 167 hours between your calls. While you're chasing other prospects, your buyer is: ↳ Getting cold feet ↳ Talking to competitors ↳ Forgetting why they were excited Smart sellers stay present even when they're not there. This is where tools like Consensus come in. They let buyers explore demos on their own time. Answer their questions at 10 PM. Share materials with their team. Stay engaged between touchpoints. It's how you keep social selling momentum right through the demo stage. https://lnkd.in/ePVWw-Bi 5. Close with confidence, not pressure When trust is already built? When value is already proven? When buyers are already educated? Closing feels natural, not like a battle. The best deals I've ever closed felt inevitable. Because the relationship started months before the opportunity. Here's what this approach delivers (in my experience): ✓ Significantly faster sales cycles ✓ Much higher close rates ✓ Bigger deal sizes (pre-sold = less negotiation) ✓ Happier customers (they chose you, not the other way around) Stop thinking of social selling as "nice to have." Start treating it as your primary sales strategy. Your next big deal isn't in your CRM. They're scrolling LinkedIn right now. What content are you creating to catch them? #ConsensusPartner

Quick reminder for all of us as we race to understand the massive shifts in search journeys and what that means for conversion. Trust is built **before** conversion. Not after. If you think trust is what happens post-purchase, you’re talking about retention, and that's a different job (still wildly important, but different). Most conversion problems are actually pre-conversion trust failures but they just show up late in the funnel. Sharing a few thoughts on what trust-building looks like by model: 🛍️ B2C / DTC • Showing the product clearly, on real bodies, in real life • Naming who it’s not for (fit, use case, lifestyle) • Clear pricing + returns without fine print gymnastics • Messaging that reduces “will this actually work for me?” anxiety If people hesitate here, it’s rarely price. It’s uncertainty. 🏢 B2B / SaaS • Saying exactly who this is for (and who should not buy it) • Publishing opinions, not just features • Transparent pricing or at least transparent rationale • A homepage that explains the problem before the product If every path leads to “book a demo,” you’re outsourcing trust-building to sales - which may be okay, but just be really intentional and train your team accordingly. 🧩 Marketplaces • Proving quality and consistency, not just volume • Explaining how selection is curated (or admitting it isn’t) • Making the first decision small and reversible • Signaling standards, taste, or taste-making Marketplaces don’t win by offering more choice, they win by editing with taste. Across all models, the pattern is largely the same: trust is created when you reduce cognitive load. When you make the decision feel safe, obvious, and informed. When buyers feel smart before they convert. You can’t CRO your way out of: – vague positioning – blurred ICPs – hidden tradeoffs – mismatched expectations The brands winning right now understand that and still prioritize it, even with an ever-growing backlog. They don’t ask for belief upfront. They earn it, step by step, before they make an ask. If conversion feels harder than it should, start with trust.

“You look so natural on Zoom. How do you make people trust you so quickly?” Someone asked me this after a recent sales call — and honestly, it caught me off guard. Because early on, I thought just being good at what we do was enough to earn trust. But I’ve learned that trust isn’t built by showing off your services — it’s built by showing up with clarity, empathy, and solutions. I’ve learned this the hard way: Don’t just sell your service. Solve a real problem. Because people don’t wake up wanting to buy your service — they wake up wanting a solution. Something that helps them grow, fix what’s broken, or finally get unstuck. That’s when it clicked. We’re not in the business of pushing services. We’re in the business of solving problems for real people. And when you do that — business follows. Some of our biggest clients came from calls where we didn’t sell — we diagnosed. We researched. We walked in knowing what wasn’t working for them and why. We told them: “This is what you’re doing, here’s what you’re missing, and this is how we can fix it.” And that changed everything. If you want someone to trust you with their marketing, you can’t walk in empty-handed. Here’s what I’ve learned: — Be polite, but don’t overpromise. — Don’t talk about what you “can” do — show what you have done. — Even if you’ve worked with just one client, talk about it. Share what you achieved. Show proof. — Do your homework. Know who you’re talking to. Know what they’re lacking. Tell them what you observed — before they tell you. — Position your service as a solution — not a product. And don’t underestimate this: Build a connection, even if they don’t convert right now. That one call might not turn into a client, but it might turn into trust, a future opportunity, or a referral months later. You never lose by being human. Sometimes people tell me, “Your calls go so smoothly — you make it look easy.” But they don’t see the process behind it. The prep. The effort to understand. The mindset shift that took years. If you’re just starting out — you don’t need a fancy deck. You don’t need a team. You just need empathy. Curiosity. And a genuine intention to help. That’s how you become great at sales. Not by convincing people. But by understanding them. #salesmindset #storytelling #marketingstrategy #founderlife #pankajbudhwani #digitalmarketing #clientrelationships #growthmindset #trustbuilding #salescalls

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.

The sales team isn't being ignored - they're showing up too late. The B2B world has completely changed. It's here now, and it's unforgiving. By the time your salespeople get involved, buyers have already made up 57% of their minds.   But here's what everyone's missing about this shift:   Buyers are Watching Your next big client is already studying you. They're not just reading your content-   ↳They're studying how your executives think ↳What your customers are saying when you're not in the room ↳Whether your thought leadership demonstrates leadership   People Trust People, Not Ads The more polished your marketing, the less buyers trust it. B2B buyers are 3x more likely to trust individual leaders' insights than branded content. Yet most companies keep pumping out corporate content while their executives remain silent.   Content Sells for You Every thought leadership post and authentic story your team shares-> becomes a silent salesperson working 24/7.   But here's the twist: your best content isn't what you say about your product - it's what you think about your industry's future.   More Decision Makers Than Ever On average, 11 stakeholders now influence every B2B purchase. But here's what's fascinating: each of these stakeholders consumes content differently. While CEOs scan thought leadership, Technical Evaluators dive deep into whitepapers. Are you speaking all these languages?   Post Sales Engagement That moment after making a purchase often brings doubt and worry. Smart companies recognize this common reaction and have found a powerful solution: Their leaders share real success stories that help new customers feel confident and excited about their decisions.   The Big Picture: The B2B buying process hasn't just evolved - it's inverted. Trust is now built before the first handshake, through the digital footprints of your leaders.   How are you humanizing your B2B brand in this new reality? At Flywheelr, we're pioneering this trust-first approach, helping executives become thought leaders who close deals before sales calls even begin. Ready to lead the conversation in your industry?

The real shift in content marketing? It’s not frequency-it’s trust and positioning. You can post every day. You can chase every trend. But if your audience doesn’t trust you- You stay invisible. Trust is the real currency. 76% of marketers build trust through content. Not through ads. Not through noise. Positioning is your edge. Posting is random. Positioning is intentional. When you position, you solve one problem for one audience. You speak their language. You show you get their world. Here’s what happens when you shift from posting to positioning: → Your content feels like a solution, not a pitch. → You become the go-to, not just another name in the feed. → Inbound leads come to YOU. (Yes, this still works in 2024.) I see this every day. The brands that win don’t post more. They post with purpose. They: • Focus on one pain point • Use stories, not slogans • Share proof-real results, real people 89% of B2B marketers say brand awareness is key. Consistent brand presentation? Up to 23% higher revenue. (Read that again.) If you want to move from noise to trust, stop filling the feed. Start building your position. Content is not about being seen. It’s about being remembered. What’s one shift you’ve made in your content strategy that built more trust? Let’s learn from each other.

I used to think capturing attention was everything. But then AI came along... ↳ Fake websites started popping up overnight. ↳ Made-up testimonials began flooding digital spaces. ↳ AI influencers gained popularity. That’s when it hit me: In this new reality, people aren't just buying products and services anymore. 👉 They're buying TRUST. Here are 5 things you can do to build unshakeable brand trust: 1. Be transparent about everything: your processes, your team, your mistakes. Transparency builds credibility faster than any marketing campaign. 2. Show real people behind your brand: faces, stories, genuine interactions. Humans connect with humans. 3. Deliver consistently: every. single. time. Trust is built through repeated positive experiences, not grand gestures. 4. Admit when you're wrong. And fix it fast! Mistakes don't destroy trust; how you handle them does. 5. Share your values openly. And actually live by them. People can smell fake values from miles away. Trust takes years to build and seconds to destroy. Guard it fiercely.

31% of your subscribers delete their marketing emails within seconds, making the decision based on roughly 30 characters of text, according to Litmus from Validity data (report linked in the comments). It's brutal! You’ve spent weeks crafting the perfect email campaign. designing beautiful, compelling copy, and figuring out the perfect time to send. Welcome to the microsecond economy! Email marketers haven’t fully grasped this inbox reality. Global email volumes have doubled since COVID, and there’s unprecedented competition for attention. While many senders still obsess over open rates and click rates, the real battle is won or lost long before that - in the split-second moment when your email is first seen in a subscriber’s inbox. It’s not just about clever subject lines. Trust and recognition are the primary drivers. Think about your own inbox behaviour. When you’re scanning through emails, you're not just reading subject lines — you’re subconsciously asking: “Do I recognise this sender, and do I trust them?” This becomes even more critical as AI transforms both sides of the trust equation. Scam emails are increasingly polished, often near-indistinguishable from legitimate brand communications. The result - consumers are becoming even more selective about what they’ll consider opening. Brands that understand this shift are turning it into a competitive advantage by: ◾ Using authentication tools like BIMI logos as immediate trust signals ◾ Educating customers about what they will/won't send them ◾ Focusing on brand reputation as much as subject line optimisation ◾ Recognising the “billboard effect” — that emails drive positive alternative actions, even when never opened This last point challenges existing conventions around email attribution. How do you measure the impact of emails that were never opened, yet still influence purchase decisions? Traditional metrics suddenly feel inadequate. The microsecond economy demands fundamental shifts in how we think: about email effectiveness: ◾ Stop optimising only for the actual email message. Start optimising for the moment before the email is opened. ◾ Stop thinking about subject lines (and pre-headers) in isolation. Start thinking about the complete trust equation: sender name + subject line + timing + recipient relationship. ◾ Stop measuring success solely through click attribution. Start measuring inbox placement, brand recognition, and cross-channel impact. Email marketers who master this microsecond opportunity will benefit from more engagement, more traffic, and more revenue!

Content creation has become incredibly easy. Honestly, even a 10-year-old can open an AI tool and generate a post in a few minutes. Building authority and becoming a leader in your category is the hard part. And that's where we come in. Having spent more than a decade in market research, that's still the part I enjoy the most. >>>> A lot of time goes into understanding a client's industry, following market trends, reading the latest news, and figuring out what buyers actually care about. The goal is simple: help our clients become among the first to talk about important developments while adding their own perspective instead of repeating what everyone else is saying. ❌ Copying and pasting the same content everyone else is posting won't make people look up to you online. Trust isn't built by promoting your product over and over again. 𝗜𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘅 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: → Industry news and market updates → Educational content that teaches the audience something useful → Untold founder stories and experiences (this one is my favourite) 💫 → A clear vision for where the industry is heading → Fresh perspectives that challenge common thinking 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴. → Hooks that make people stop scrolling → Graphics that are visually appealing and easy to consume → Messaging that keeps people reading until the end When all of those pieces come together consistently, people stop seeing the content as marketing. They start seeing the person behind it as someone who understands the industry and is worth following. That's how you build trust. 💫 And that's how our clients earn speaking engagements, inbound leads, and partnership opportunities.