Welcome to the Trust Business, where people buy from you only if they trust you. And they can only trust you if they a) connect with you as a person, and b) feel you have the competency to get them the result they’re looking for, for a problem they have.
And we do this through content creation, constantly telling people who we are and what we can help with.
So, it can be frustrating to spend a lot of time crafting a post, get super excited (or scared) to put it out there, and then feel as though it doesn’t get the kind of traction (likes, shares, comments) you expected.
But I want to remind you of a couple things:
- We are in the Trust Business and people need to see that you are not a flash-in-the-pan kind of personal brand, that’s going to disappear in a couple months. They need to see that you are for real and the only way you can prove to them that you are trustworthy is to KEEP SHOWING UP. So keep pressing publish and do your best to detach from outcomes, because ultimately, this needs to be for you, because you want to build something meaningful and impact a lot of lives, not because you need affirmation that you are good enough. Consistency breeds trust.
- No one knows you yet! So you’re not going to get a landslide response, and that’s okay. That’s how it starts. Every single person begins with one follower or fan or subscriber. But you need to keep showing up because eventually you will start attracting more strangers and those who want to hear from you more.
- In the words of Gary Vaynerchuk, “If you want to do this for the rest of your life, you don’t give up after 4 months.” Try to look at your posts clinically, like, how did this do? Without attaching meaning to it, like you’re not good or people don’t like you or want you. It’s just data. And also, you gotta get up and just post again! You’re a professional now, which means you treat it like a job, not something you are going to do so long as you get the amount of likes and fans you desire. Doesn’t work that way. Online business is tough, and those who are still around in a year, 3 years, 5 years are the ones who are making good money, a ton of impact and loving every second of it.
So, with that said, I want you to continue to #CCC – Create content constantly. This is my manta in Best of You. You are not a consumer anymore, you’re a creator. And if you want people to look to you for their info and results, start treating it that way. Show up. Every day. Post on social. And then … do it again!
As you start to post more, I want to remind you of the 4 key components in the trust game. When you are effectively doing these 4 things, you are bringing in the right readers, followers and potential clients, and you are repelling the wrong ones.
Remember, your content is your natural filtering system. Those with whom it resonates stay, and those who don’t resonate go. And it’s a perfect system.
Cool? Okay. Here are the 4 things I want you to start to think about (and actually rate yourself on on a scale from 1 to 10):
Trust-Builder #1: Consistency
When you show up consistently, people can start to rely on you. They know you’ll be there for them. They see you as responsible and legit doing this thing as a real deal, versus just dabbling. Your consistency shows them you are in it for the long run, and they know you won’t take your money and run, or be nowhere to be found a year from now. Consistently showing up is the lowest common denominator, and if you show up daily and serve, you’ll already be in the top 1% of people trying to do online business.
Trust-Builder #2: Expertise + communication
First, Brendon Burchard says that everyone is an expert in their own right, and your expertise can be established based on the 3 R’s:
- Role Model – This is your personal experience and story. You have experiences of struggle, success, education, growth and more that when you talk about them in the online space, people can learn. Also, they can relate. If I tell a story about my personal struggle after my first fitness competition, those reading it think about their own struggle with weight rebound. There’s something magical about stories, and whose better to share than you own? This is also your current way of being—do you walk your walk? How? What have you learned and what nuggets can you contribute?
- Researcher – These are your credentials and know-how. These might be the degrees you’ve earned or the certifications you’ve obtained. They might be the book and research studies you’ve read. This is your knowledge of the material you want to talk about.
- Results-getter – This is your ability to get results with clients. If you are currently an in-person trainer or group fitness instructor, you have probably had dozens, if not hundreds of client touches. This is an important part of the expert triangle. You have a handful (or more) of testimonials, quantitative and qualitative data of how you’ve helped people.
Ideally want a little of all 3, but if you have one strong one, you are qualified to share your info. So write out how you’re an expert. What are your credentials? What clinical experience have you had with clients? And lastly—and one that often gets overlooked—what is your personal story? Write it out! You might not know everything, but have a story that is true for you, and there is utility in sharing that.
And secondly, can you communicate your ideas? It’s one thing to throw 100 to-do’s at a client and sound like the smartest person in the room. But what about your ability to actually help people implement? The smartest people I know are the ones who can distill an idea down so that a 5th grader could understand it. They relieve the client’s anxiety, not add to it. Check this Instagram post I shared all about this point and how to do it.
Trust-Builder #3: Relatedness
The good news is that the days of having to put on the show of perfection online is over. This can feel really scary though, for newbies to the online business space! But as I outlined last week, people don’t want the filtered, edited, perfected version. They want YOU. They want real. They want to see you sweat! And all of these small, personal details and shows of vulnerability add to your appeal, don’t detract. Those with whom it resonates will stay and love/trust you that much more—because hey, we’re the same!—and those with whom it doesn’t land will leave. Perfect system.
Read this post I wrote called, “Why ‘Don’t Let Them See You Sweat’ Is Absurd Advice.”
Trust-Builder #4: Your X-Factor
This is something that is nonnegotiable. There is so much noise in the online space, not only do you have to draw a line in the sand and have an opinion, but you need to be known for something. What’s your origin story? What’s your superpower? What’s the thing that sets you apart? Did you lose 100 lbs? Did you overcome an eating disorder? Did you yo-yo diet as a fitness competitor? Did you gain 70 lbs while pregnant and then lose it all? Did you quit your day job and follow your pession? Did you go broke and then claw your way back to success? Were you a chronic over-exerciser and mend your ways? What it is … about you?
You can cultivate this by telling your story. A lot.
Stories are so powerful in helping others resonate with us, and the more you share different parts of what you’ve been through—even if it’s not super dramatic—the more people come to know, like and trust you. Ideally, you want people saying, “Oh Jill! She’s the one who …” – what story are people associating you with?
Your X Factor is the thing that makes you you. And it might take some time to flesh out, which is fine. But start to think about what you want to be known for, how can you share your knowables clearly and often?
Mastering these 4 trust-builders in your content and customer service will help you create a legion of readers and fans, but most importantly, an amazing audience of buyers.
Are you signed up for the FREE 6-week #ActionAcademy course? It’s for health/fitness professionals and enthusiasts who want to start and grow their online platform and learn how to gain customers over the internet using their expertise and experience. Sign up FREE here. Join us now!
Some tweetables for you:
