“If you want to be trusted, you’ve got to give trust.”
– Stephen Covey
I love this quote. Trust has become a huge topic of conversation in B2B marketing over recent months – and it’s not hard to see why.
Edelman’s latest research revealed that over 60% of B2B buyers trust businesses less now than they did just a few years ago.
Why? That’s the billion-dollar question.
Every day, we hear about how buyers are being bombarded by lazy sales emails – inboxes flooded with “just following up” messages. There’s likely a reason that initial email didn’t garner a response. And when emails don’t get a response, people resort to LinkedIn InMail after InMail… with the same results.
And then there’s ‘thought leadership’, which too often has become thinly veiled sales collateral – focused more on promoting a company’s offering than offering any real depth or thinking on important topics.
None of this behaviour, of course, necessarily makes a company untrustworthy.
But it certainly doesn’t help to build trust either.
So, in this climate of growing scepticism, what should we – as professional services marketers be doing better?
Earn trust through your thought leadership
High-quality thought leadership is still one of the most powerful ways to build trust – but only when it’s done properly.
Edelman’s research is clear: decision-makers still regard strong thought leadership as a more trustworthy basis for assessing a company. Yet, over 70% of those decision-makers also say that most thought leadership they receive fails to deliver valuable insights.
I don’t disagree.
Help your clients and prospective clients think differently.
A practical tip: simply plugging a few prompts into ChatGPT isn’t enough. Offer your genuine perspective. Share an opinion. Be bold.
And maybe – just maybe – don’t gate every piece of downloadable content. Don’t chase your MQL target. Trust your thought leadership to do the job you want it to do.
Be more human (and a little less ‘polished’)
I’m not going to bang on again about ‘human tone’ – you’ve heard me say it enough. Instead, let’s talk about authenticity.A recent Forrester blog noted that buyers increasingly respond better to brands that show vulnerability, admit where they’re still improving, and have real conversations – not sales scripts.
So:
- Give your partners a voice on platforms like LinkedIn.
- Encourage them to speak candidly about challenges and industry issues.
- Trust them – and resist the urge to act as the brand police.
If someone wants to post a video, it doesn’t need to be slick and highly produced.
LinkedIn’s “Future of Branding” report even suggests that brands that “embrace imperfection” are 2.5x more likely to earn trust. (Not sure I completely buy this – but you get the point.)
Consistency is the trust multiplier
Trust isn’t built in a single grand gesture – it’s earned over every interaction.
Are you maintaining consistency across all your customer touchpoints?
Or does the experience nosedive the minute a contract is signed?
Brands that maintain consistency across marketing, sales and delivery are, according to research, 3x more likely to be trusted.
If your marketing says you’re innovative, but your client onboarding feels clunky and bureaucratic, guess what? You’ll lose trust – fast.
So please, align the client experience at every customer touchpoint. Make sure what you promise in marketing is exactly what clients experience once they engage with you. People do talk!
Shorten the trust gap by being transparent
Research from 6Sense reveals the average B2B buying journey now lasts 10.2 months and that buyers are already 69% of the way through their decision-making process before they engage with vendors.
That’s why transparency has never been more important.
We often advise HR tech vendors in particular: Be transparent with your pricing. Put it on your website. Don’t hide it behind a form or force people to have a demo or get in touch to find out.
When you hide things, the message buyers receive is: you’re not being open. It damages trust.
Contracts are rarely won on price alone. So be upfront – and explain why you’re the best partner. You’ll appear far more credible.
Own your proof points
It’s no longer enough to claim you’re a market leader. Can you actually back it up? Many can’t.
Today’s buyers seek validation through customer reviews, case studies, third-party endorsements, and peer recommendations.
So start building a library of genuine proof points now. Make it easy for your buyers to see what the experience of working with you is really like.
Final tip: Anonymous case studies aren’t much help. Buyers want authenticity.
If you don’t have proof points? Well maybe you’re not quite as innovative or client-centric as you think and it might be time to refresh that messaging!
So, in this age of buyer scepticism, let’s commit to:
- Leading with genuine insight
- Communicating like real humans
- Being consistent and transparent
- Delivering consistent experiences, every time
- Owning your proof points – and making them easy to find
Giving trust. It’s not actually that difficult, is it?