3 Steps to Build Trust So Your Marketing Converts Faster

Most prospects meet you long before you ever meet them. They skim your site. They glance at your LinkedIn. They clock your posts while making coffee. In those few seconds, a simple question steers the show: Is this brand or person a safe bet?

That moment decides whether they lean in or keep scrolling. It has little to do with design flourishes or a fancy framework. It has everything to do with the signals your words send. This guide, adapted from episode 145 of The Master Your Business Podcast, walks you through three moves that make new readers feel at ease, then ready to act. You’ll see how light language shifts quiet the brain’s alarm bells, why concrete proof beats clever phrasing, and how a simple switch to “you” language makes your offer feel relevant.

If you are a coach, consultant, or service-based professional building a steady book of business, this is for you. You want consistent inbound. You want shorter buying cycles. You want copy that earns attention without shouting. That starts with trust-first messaging.

“Trust isn’t something you buy. It’s something you signal, and you can do this in seconds. With the right words, you bypass your prospect’s BS filter and speak straight to the trust centre in their brain.”

That line from the episode says it all. We’re not hunting hacks. We’re choosing words that help people decide with confidence.

Why safety comes first

The brain constantly keeps a lookout for threats. It does this fast, often before you notice. When language feels vague or overhyped, that lookout gets louder. People pause. They postpone. They tell themselves they will revisit later, and rarely do.

You don’t need a paragraph of disclaimers to lower that alert. You need signs of care. Show that trying your offer won’t cost status, time, or face. Simple phrases do more work than you think… Phrases like “used by,” “peer recommended,” “clear next step,” “private call”, and “backed by results.” Place these near your first promise, and you’ll feel the tone of the sales page change.

Think about how unfamiliar services became normal over time. When Airbnb was new, the idea of staying in a stranger’s spare room felt risky. Language that highlighted a host guarantee, 24/7 support, and a trusted community didn’t solve every concern, but it made the first visit less daunting. The copy they used met an unspoken fear and gave it a name. Your ideal clients have their own version of that fear… “Will this waste my time? Will I look foolish? Will this be worth it?” Meet it early. Name it plainly. Offer an easy first step.

On your homepage, that might be a short line under the hero message that explains what happens after a click. On your LinkedIn, it might be a sentence that suggests where to begin, such as: “Book a 15-minute fit call.” The goal is not to “perform” confidence. The goal is to remove friction so people can see the value that follows.

Proof beats polish

Once the client’s alarm quietens, the next question arises, “Can I believe this?” This is where specifics matter. Concrete details feel like evidence. They turn fog into shape. They also help you write with a lighter touch, because numbers can do the heavy lifting.

Think numbers like: Timeframes, counts, named steps, etc. Here’s a sampler: a 7-day reset with 3 sessions, each 90 minutes long, planned by Tuesday. These small anchors make promises easier to hold. Notice how a date changes a shipping claim. Fast is vague. “Planned by Tuesday” gives the brain something it can picture. The same principle applies to coaching, consulting, and creative services. When a person can imagine the next few moves, they worry less about hidden surprises.

If you’ve been tempted to describe your offer as high-quality, try naming the specific parts instead. How many calls? What happens between those calls? When someone hears from you next. Even better, show a result your buyers care about and keep the language modest. For example: Two new discovery calls a week. A response rate that moves from quiet to steady. A proposal acceptance rate that climbs in a specific range. Keep them concrete. Bounded. Useful.

In the episode, I shared how one client’s message moved from a broad promise to a focused outcome, relief from burnout in 7 days. The service did not change. The words did. The result became easier to picture. The offer felt less like a slogan and more like a plan.

You can borrow proof from reputable sources if you don’t yet have your own. But, if you share data or research, cite a reliable source. Don’t just copy and paste AI outputs without verifying them first either. The Edelman Trust Barometer reports on how trust influences decisions across various markets and sectors, serving as a respected reference point. You can explore their latest findings here, https://www.edelman.com/trust. 

Make the message about them

So many business owners dislike marketing because they hate blowing their own trumpet. So a simple, switch from we to you when it serves removes that obstacle and provides clarity to your dream clients. The psychology here is familiar. People care about their world. They want to know how this helps their work, their team, their goals.

You language is not a gimmick. It keeps writing honest. It also makes your own role easier to see. You’re the guide, not the hero. You show the path. They take the step. Read these pairs and you’ll feel the difference.

1. We deliver a signature program for founders.
2. You get a clear plan for the next 30 days, then weekly practice that fits your schedule.

1. We offer comprehensive marketing support.
2. You publish one strong piece a week and know exactly what comes next.

1. We provide accountability.
2. You leave each call with a single next action, due date, and a way to track progress.

Small edits like these bring the work to life and closer to the reader’s life. They also help you spot fluff. If a sentence falls apart when you try to rewrite it with you, the sentence might be doing more hiding than helping.

Nike’s Jordan story, mentioned in the episode, is an extreme example of this and definitely worth a listen. The pitch Nike made centres on the person - Michael Jordan, not the product - the sneakers/trainers. Your reader may not be an athlete on the cusp of a deal, but the lesson holds. They want to see themselves in the outcome.

A simple sweep for pages and posts

This three step approach works best when you run it as a short review, not a heavy rewrite. Think of it like a quick edit pass before you publish.

Start with the first promise on the page. Add a small sign of safety near it, what happens next, how to begin, why it’s low risk to try. Move to your key claim. Replace a generality with a number, a date, or a clear scope. Then scan for we and see where you can shift to you without losing meaning. Five minutes is enough for a first pass. A few lines change, and the page reads cleaner.

On LinkedIn, this might be a profile headline that pairs a clear outcome with one proof point. In your About section, you can tell a short client story with one detail that matters, not a dozen. In a post, a single before and after sentence is often all you need to make the point.

On a sales page, consider a short proof band that collects specifics in one place. Keep it tidy. A star average, a count of clients served in a period, a named timeframe for delivery. No fireworks. Just facts people can use.

If you write email, try opening with a specific right away. Then invite a small next step, reply if this sounds like you or pick a time for a 10 minute check in. Light touch. Clear tone.

A brief tour of examples, with context

Here’s how some well known brands serve these lessons thoughtfully.

Dove changed the words surrounding beauty at a time when perfection claims ruled the category. Bringing real and authentic into the mainstream wasn’t a tagline experiment. It made room for more people to opt in. That shift aligned product, message, and cultural moment, and performance followed.

Airbnb confronted a core risk perception. Safety language made a new behaviour feel manageable. Not because the words performed magic, but because the team also designed support systems to back the promise. Copy works best when the operations underneath it are sound.

Amazon’s shipping labels are the classic proof point. Clear dates increased buyer confidence. The customer gained a plan. When promises are specific, expectations are easier to meet.

Nike’s narrative around individual greatness shows how “you” language and identity work together. The best lesson to lift is not swagger. It’s focus. Speak to a person’s story and make your product the tool that helps them live it.

As a small business owner, you don’t need their budgets to borrow their discipline. Pick the single fear that blocks action. Name it. Share one piece of evidence. Show what happens next. Then keep your promise.

Apply this to LinkedIn marketing for service based businesses

Your buyers often start on LinkedIn. Treat your profile like a quiet landing page. Let the first line do real work.

A clean headline can pair an outcome with a safe first step, strategic offers that win better clients, 15 minute discovery call. Your About section can sketch the path someone takes with you, beginning, middle, end. Keep the verbs simple. Frame the result from their side of the table. Use a number where a number helps. One result is enough. Then make it easy to contact you.

In posts, tell short stories that land in the body. Pick a clear moment, what you saw, what changed, what someone can try. Avoid piling on claims. One precise detail will do, the day it clicked, the time it took, the sentence that unlocked a conversation. Good posts often end with a question that invites a reply from peers, not a pitch.

If you run a newsletter, fold the three step sweep into your editing checklist. It keeps the tone grounded and earns attention without theatrics.

Tools and a small practice

Use the DRAMATISE Story Builder. Download it for free. It’s a simple framework that turns vague ideas into stories people remember. Pair that with a one sentence daily practice, take a line from your site, apply the sweep, and save the better version. Over time your library of clear sentences grows. Publishing gets easier. Calls feel warmer. Conversions pick up.

If you want a second reference for trust and decision making, the Edelman Trust Barometer is a solid starting point, https://www.edelman.com/trust. Bring one insight into your next planning meeting and decide how it shapes a single message this quarter.

A few lines from the episode worth sharing 

“Trust isn’t something you buy. It’s something you signal and you can do this in seconds.”

“If your words aren’t working when you’re not in the room, you’re losing deals you’ll never even know about.”

Conclusion

When a stranger lands on your page, they bring hopes and a handful of quiet worries. Your job is simple. Help them feel safe enough to consider the value they’ll get if they buy your program, product or service. Then give them a reason to believe your claims. Then show how this fits their world right now.

Do that with light touches and honest detail. Speak to the person you want to help. Keep the next step small. You’ll see more replies. You’ll close with less drag. Most of all, you’ll enjoy the work more, because your copy will sound like you.

If this resonated, Listen to the full episode of Master Your Business for deeper examples.
📥 Download the free DRAMATISE™ Story Builder Template: www.deirdremartin.ie/dramatisestorybuilder

Author: Deirdre Martin, award-winning, triple-certified, international best-selling author, helping service providers make their first million without burnout.
Last updated: October 2025

Keep mastering your business. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Great insights on getting noticed in the market

Deirdre does a great job of helping understand the best marketing and business strategies with an easy-to-understand and entertaining podcast.

Education in your ears.”