Your Sales Aren't Struggling - Your Trust Signals Are
Why pushing harder isn't the answer (and what the research says you should do instead)
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Here's a scenario I see too often:
A business owner is struggling with sales, so they do what seems logical - they double down on sales tactics.
More calls. More follow-ups. More "value-adding" touchpoints. More "proven" closing techniques. More payment plans. More $X.99 price tags. More DMs. More scripts.
More, more, more, MOARRRRR.
And what happens?
Usually, more of the same. Or worse!
Look, you can choose to keep banging your head against the wall with extra sneaky sales tactics, getting those marginal, incremental "improvements" that barely move the needle. Or… you can grab a shovel and start digging for better answers.
Banging your head against the wall = bloody forehead
Digging for better answers = some sweat on your brow
We both know which option will hurt less.
I’ll share a counterintuitive truth:
If your sales are struggling, stop selling.
The problem might not be your selling. The problem might be that you're even selling in the first place, when something more fundamental is broken.
Do I have you leaning in yet?
Good, let’s get to it.
But First…
The Trust-First Paradox
Every time you push a sales message before earning buyer trust, you're actually making your job harder.
Way harder.
Think about your own buying behavior…
When you sense someone is trying to sell to you before understanding your needs or establishing credibility, what happens? Your guard goes up. Your skepticism increases. You start looking for reasons to say no.
And you get really pissed off at their arrogance: “I can’t f*cking believe that guy!”
(Well, maybe that’s just me.)
Your prospects are doing the EXACT. SAME. THING.
According to research from the Edelman Trust Barometer, business trust is at an all-time low. The research shows that 63% of people need to hear company claims 3-5 times before they'll believe them.
And here's the best (well… worst?) part - that number goes up when the claims come through obvious sales channels.
(I’m speaking to you, LinkedIn-ers)
The 3 Trust Gaps Killing Your Sales
1. The Expertise Gap
When you lead with sales tactics instead of genuine expertise, you create a massive credibility problem. One a little bandaid can’t fix. Your prospects can sense when you're recycling generic advice versus speaking from deep understanding. This manifests in sales conversations as hesitation, "I’ll think about it" responses, price sensitivity, and constant objections.
The fix is not another sales script. It's demonstrating real, deep expertise before you ever ask for the sale. Prove you understand their situation - and explain how you can help resolve their bottlenecks.
It’s about building trust, FIRST.
2. The Proof Gap
Standard testimonials aren't enough anymore. No one cares about all the nice things people have to say about you. My mom has a lot of nice things to say about me. Big whoop. Everyone has dozens of great reviews. You can’t rely on those anymore. On top of that, we also live at a shitty time in history where fake reviews are rampant. Now, buyers need more substantial evidence. They need to see:
Detailed case studies showing your process, not just results
Third-party validation from credible sources (e.g., DMing your clients directly)
Transparent sharing of both successes and limitations of your service(s)
Visual frameworks and roadmaps that are proven to work and easy to grasp
Clear, measurable outcomes backed by data
3. The Alignment Gap
This is where your message doesn't match reality. Maybe you claim to be a premium service provider, but you still compete on price. Like saying you sign $25,000+ consulting gigs but you won’t stop spamming your $17 Notion swipe files with mind-numbing email sequences for your $97 power-hour upsells that just so happen to always be expiring “in 24 hours.”
(I just got tired typing that out)
Orrrrr…. you promise high-ticket personalization but deliver templated solutions.
I can keep going, but you get the point.
This misalignment creates cognitive dissonance that kills trust before you ever build it. People might never say it to your face, but they see it. They feel it. And that prevents them from buying.
The Trust-First Framework
Instead of focusing on sales tactics, this is what we do with our clients at Graewolves:
1. Audit Your Trust Signals:
Review all customer touchpoints
Identify where you're making claims without sufficient proof
Map out where prospects typically express doubt
Pinpoint where in the customer journey people drop off
Document and assess your current trust-building assets
2. Build Your Trust Infrastructure:
Develop some real thought leadership content
Create detailed case studies that show your process
Build systematic ways to demonstrate expertise on a weekly basis
Establish clear differentiators backed by evidence
Do deep market research, so you’re always whispering into your ICP’s ears
3. Measure Trust Indicators:
Track engagement with your thought leadership
Monitor changes in sales cycle length
Document objections and how they evolve over time
Measure price sensitivity in conversations (any lingering price objections?)
Record your sales calls. Are leads excited to speak to you, or does it still feel like you’re trying to sell plush teddy bears to poker-faced Black Ops assassins?
(Pst! If you’ve gotten this far… you might wanna know when our $50K website drops! Join our waitlist here ->
When Should You Return to Selling Again?
You'll know you've built enough trust when:
Prospects start referencing your content in sales calls
Your expertise becomes part of the conversation naturally
Price objections decrease
Sales cycles begin shortening
Referrals increase without you directly asking for them
Again, LOTS of research on this shizz, but this ain’t my newsletter - it’s Ryan and Leo’s. So I’ll settle down.
“Great Milly, now wtf do I do next?”
Start here:
Pause any aggressive sales pushes
Document every doubt or objection you've heard in the last month
Map out where you currently have proof points for each
Identify your biggest trust gaps
Create a plan to systematically fill all of those trust gaps
Trust isn't just another sales tactic. It's the foundation everything else builds upon. You can have the best sales techniques in the world, but without trust, you're just pushing harder against a door that's locked from the inside.
At the end of the day, the choice is yours.
Banging your head against the wall = bloody forehead
Digging for better answers = some sweat on your brow
We both know which option will hurt less.
Build trust first, and watch how much easier selling becomes.
Much gratitude to Ryan + Leo for letting me smack talk in their newsletter.
And a special thank you to my hubby Jason Dellatolla for his PhD-level attention to detail in the editing process.
Muchas gracias, gents!
- Milanie (call me Milly!) Grae
Co-Founder of Graewolves
www.graewolves.com
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This is great. Trust really makes the sale Ezmode. Appreciate you guys!