Building Trust and Opportunities
Ep29
===
Plan Changed Today
---
[00:00:00]
Bryan Steele: I had a totally different plan today. I knew what I was gonna talk about, I knew the next series of episodes I was gonna produce, and then something today changed my mind. I had several different encounters that reiterated to me something that we maybe probably don't talk about enough, and that is the value of the know, like, and trust factor.
Before somebody is going to work with you, before somebody hires you, before somebody pays you for your product, they're gonna need some of a combination of that, that they know who you are, they like you, and they trust you, [00:01:00] that you're able to deliver on your promises. And that happened for me today.
Networking Wins
---
Bryan Steele: So this morning, I had coffee, great coffee with another business owner, and he's interested in working with me.
But the first time we met was months ago at a business coaching event, and then I didn't see him. We talked a little bit. We chatted. Didn't see him for months. And then I saw him last week ~at a One Million Cups,~ at a One Million Cups entrepreneur meeting. We chatted a little more, talked about each other's businesses, and he was sharing with me, "Yeah, maybe, maybe we should talk.
Maybe we should work together." So we scheduled this coffee. And now, he wants a proposal, and we've already set up a follow-up meeting so I can meet his team, so we can continue looking at what it looks like for us to work together. Just crazy when you look at it. And [00:02:00] then today, again, I go to a chamber of commerce networking event, totally normal thing.
I don't do it honestly enough based on this story. But there was a woman who walked somebody over to me and said, "Hey, you two need to meet. You need to talk," because he was interested in starting a podcast. They'd been discussing it, considering whether it was a good move for their business, and knew that I had been in podcasting and said, "Hey, you should chat."
And that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't seen her several times over the last few weeks. We just keep running into each other, catching up, seeing what's going on. She knows what I do in my business, I know what she does in hers, ~and we just continuous...~ and we just continuously interact And that led her to create that introduction.
And now that person has already submitted a form on my website, and we're gonna have a meeting. [00:03:00] Like, those things are already moving.
No Magic Meeting
---
Bryan Steele: And so when we think about this idea of people knowing us, liking us, and trusting us, we have to remember we've got to continuously show up because there is no magic one meeting that creates an opportunity.
Very rarely does that happen where somebody sees you, knows exactly what you offer, and is ready to buy on the spot. You have to progress through some connections over time before they're willing to work with you. So ~let's,~ let's take a look at this. Now, I wanna be fully honest. None of these are closed deals.
They may turn me down later, and that's okay because I know if I keep showing up and creating more of these opportunities, some people will say yes. And maybe that's a conversation for another day. But it just continuously [00:04:00] reinforces this value of showing up and creating more and more touchpoints. So let's look at that.
Seven Touchpoints Myth
---
Bryan Steele: The first story, coaching at business coaching event, which turns into meeting again at a One Million Cups, which turns into a coffee, and I'm gonna send an email proposal, and then we're meeting with his team. There's five meetings already, and maybe more to go even beyond that. There's often a rule that's stated that's more of a legend or folklore that you need seven connection points with somebody before they're willing to work with you.
Now, Jeffrey Lant coined ~the t-~ the modern B2B version of seven exposures within eighteen months. But if anything is to be said, it's at least more than two . You know? There's going to be more encounters before somebody's willing to work with you. And even though with that second story where I [00:05:00] was introduced to somebody, I can guarantee you they went and looked at my Google Business listing.
They went to my website. The touchpoints are not necessarily just me talking to them. There are other things going on which are providing leverage and value for me as a business owner in encountering people. And so that's incredibly important. The number is not important. You're not just trying to hit seven.
There's not something special about that, but there's a pattern that exists, that you continuously show up, and as you continue to see the same people, as you're running the same race in the same circles, meeting with those people who you can serve and benefit, it continues to build back into your business So remember, this is not something that happens instantaneously.
I told you the first encounter I had with my, my coffee appointment today was months [00:06:00] ago, and he didn't even look like a client back then. It was not even on the radar at that point. ~But over time, he became more familiar with me. We touched...~ But over time, he became more familiar with me, and we continued to bump into one another in different spaces.
And so yeah, there's a gap, and sometimes that gap can be long. But if I wasn't showing up, if I wasn't creating a presence where he was at as a ideal client, then he would never have seen me. It would have never been top of mind. It would never have been something he was thinking about because I wasn't there.
So you've got to show up repeatedly, and it may take a while. It doesn't necessarily happen fast. Now, there's a statistic from Professor John Dawes that twenty percent of buyers are in the market in a given year and around five percent in a given quarter. So my [00:07:00] contact today was not ready months ago, but he's ready now.
If I wasn't present when he was thinking about it again, if I was not in the room, I don't even become an option. So we have to make sure in some way, shape, or form we are, quote-unquote, "in the room" to be considered. Now, that doesn't necessarily have to be a literal in the room, but we have to be present There's a University of Kansas study that found that it takes forty to sixty hours to form a casual friendship and eighty to one hundred hours to become a friend.
That's a long time, right? But you know that every time you're engaging with somebody, having conversations here and there, it continues to increase that familiarity, that trust, that engagement, and it's not necessarily working side by side on a project. You're talking to one another. [00:08:00] You're becoming more aware of one another and familiar and understanding each other.
You can't just be doing your own thing and not asking questions, not trying to understand where each of you are at. Those are important things to consider.
Borrowed Trust Intro
---
Bryan Steele: So second story was how much I borrowed trust from the event, right? We talked about being known, being liked, and being trusted. As this woman brought somebody over to me and said, "You two need to talk," it was because she trusted me, and I was able to borrow the trust she had with this other individual.
Because her advocating for me lowered all barriers. I am worth the conversation now. Not necessarily by itself, but I'm worth the conversation, and if that conversation goes well, another conversation, and I accelerate the timeline to [00:09:00] building that engagement with somebody because they are familiar with me.
And if I didn't show up, if I wasn't going to these events, if I wasn't having these conversations, it would never be possible. There was some research in nineteen sixty-eight that measured repeated exposure. So anytime you're exposed to somebody over and over and over again, they like you more just because they're familiar with you, and that does most of the work.
Now, this woman, she knows what I do, but she doesn't know it intimately well. She doesn't know exactly all of the details and intricacies and how I help, but she was familiar with me enough, had enough encounters with me to be willing to make those introductions, which are incredibly valuable to me, and I'm so grateful for, honestly So that's a big piece.
So, ~I, I mean, yeah, that trust,~ that trust that's generated is so critical in those [00:10:00] encounters, and it's going to make your businesses more successful when you continue to show up, build those relationships, build engagement with others in whatever capacity that is.
Follow Ups Matter
---
Bryan Steele: Now, Belkins analyzed 7.5 million emails in business in 2025.
They found out that follow-ups two through six produced 58.6 of the replies. That means ~only,~ only just over 40% of emails were responded to the first time. It's the follow-ups. It's going back, repeating the connection. There was others at this lunch that I went to that I hadn't seen in a while And there was an instant reconnection.
"Hey, how are you doing? What's going on?" I know that familiarity is doing work for me now, even with [00:11:00] me not in the room. I am now top of mind. They remember me, and they also see that I show up again and again, and that in and of itself is valuable.
Touchpoints Types
---
Bryan Steele: So how can you do this in your business? Because you're not necessarily full-time.
You don't have hours and hours to go spend time with others. And I want to remind you that these engagements, these connection points, are not necessarily you face to face every time. That likely needs to be some of it, but there are ways that you can leverage these over time. Some of it will be online, some of it will be asymmetric.
So it means you send a message to somebody else, and they can reply when they want. So it's not real-time communication, it's asymmetric communication. Some of it will be real time. That's if you have a call or you meet for coffee. And then there's others which don't need you at all. [00:12:00] That's if somebody is on your website looking at your Google business page, if they're listening to your podcast, whatever it might be, there's times where you are making a connection without actually having to be in the room.
So it's important to remember that as we kind of think about your business and how you're creating as many of these touch points as possible, not all of them are the same. Not all of them require the same amount of time and commitment. But you know, it takes repeated exposure, repeated connections over time, and it's important to make sure those are a regular part of your business and you have a plan for them.
So what I want to walk through now are what I consider different groups. So things that are free, there's no reason you shouldn't be doing them for cost reasons. It just will take your time. Some of them pretty cheap. Might take some time and cost a little bit of money, but overall pretty inexpensive. And then finally, some [00:13:00] more detailed investment related items to create engagement and create touch points with potential clients and people you can work with.
So let's go through the list.
Free Visibility Plays
---
Bryan Steele: First list, the free things that you can be doing. ~As far as events go, one milli--~ as far as events go, 1 Million Cups is free, and it happens every week. You don't have to go every week, but it is a room full of other business owners, people who might want to hire you, people who might know people who want to hire you.
And it could... In your city, it might be twenty people, it might be a hundred people, but it's a room full of people who are expecting to network, and they're expecting to meet new people. So if you ever wanted a, an excuse to be able to go into a room and know, "Hey, I can just walk up to somebody and say hi," this is it, 1 Million Cups.
The twenty-four-hour follow-up. If you meet anybody, anywhere, any domain, and you talk to them, [00:14:00] send an email, send a text. Those are free. They don't cost you anything extra. Just contact them. Maybe even call them on the phone if, if you're so bold as to still talk on the phone. Those are fantastic ways. Free.
Twenty-four hours after you meet somebody, follow up. Say, "Hey, it was so great to connect with you." And if you don't do it within ~f-~ twenty-four hours, do it within forty-eight hours. Stop making failure an excuse to continue failing. Then thanking the connector. If somebody introduces you to someone, don't just connect with that new person.
Circle back to the person who connected you. Say, "Thank you. Really appreciated that." Send that follow-up to them. Your Google Business listing. It's free to have a Google Business page, so put it up there. Ask people for reviews, ~uh,~ to engage with it. If they've worked with you, get as many as you can. Keep it up to date.
Have good information in there. Because when somebody meets you or hears what you do, they're [00:15:00] likely going to Google you, and you want that to be really valuable information. Have pictures of, of the product or the service that you provide so that they can engage with it. Respond to every single one of those reviews, because eighty percent of consumers say they're more likely to use a business that responds to all of the reviews that are on their Google Business page, 'cause it shows that you are active.
It's not just a passive thing. You are actively involved. Commenting. ~You can be on LinkedIn commenting on people you...~ You can be on LinkedIn commenting on people's posts that you've met. When you see them and you follow them and connect with them on those platforms, leave a message when they're posting.
Say, "Oh, I really like this." And, and don't just say, "This is great," or just leave a like or thumbs up. Post something thoughtful that shows that you are considerate, and most of those platforms really value engagement. So especially on LinkedIn, value that engagement because somebody [00:16:00] else may see your comment and connect with you.
You never know where it goes. Think about your circuit that you're currently on. Where, as a dad, are you already showing up? The sports sidelines, school events, church, rec leagues, the bowling alley, the golf course. Be known for what you do. Be curious about what other people are doing. Share what you're working on.
You don't necessarily have to be like, "Hey, do you wanna work with me?" It doesn't have to be a solid pitch. It's like, "This is what I do, and this is why I do it, and this is why I care about it." You know? Talk about that side business with others. Think about that circuit that you're already on with other dads and how you can share what's happening.
If you've got the time, guest on local podcasts. Show up, talk about what's happening, share what's going on Those are some free ways, doesn't cost you any money. These are places you already are. [00:17:00] Just thinking about using your time more efficiently for them. So some of them face-to-face, some of them online.
But those are free ways that you can continue to create engagement with potential clients and buyers.
Low Cost Connections
---
Bryan Steele: Now, cheaper ways, invite somebody for coffee. If you've made a connection with somebody somewhere else, online or otherwise, say, "Hey, ~do you wanna--~ It seems like we should connect in more detail ~in,~ in person."
Invite them to a coffee. Pay for their coffee. It could be ten bucks very, very well spent. So one-on-ones over coffee are fantastic. Spending money going to chamber of commerce events or other trade association groups. Lots of times, even if you aren't a member, you can buy a ticket. Might cost you thirty dollars for a lunch, forty dollars for an event pass, something along those lines.
A little bit of investment, but it gets you in the room where you can talk to others. Business coaching events, [00:18:00] workshops. So even when somebody else is proposing a workshop, if it seems interesting, you might be encountering other people that you can connect with and follow in those workshops, even though it's not necessarily for you.
You know, those are places you can show up. ~A,~ a simple website. So we've talked a little bit about websites for your business that has a book a call, but your website is always gonna be something someone goes and looks at. So if somebody hears what you do, what your business name is, either from you or someone else, they're gonna go look you up.
They're gonna go Google you. So in addition to the Google Business page, they'll go to your website. They'll do some research on their own. That's actually been a change in buyer behavior in the referral space. It used to be if somebody referred you and gave you a card or a name or a phone number, they would just contact you.
But now people are going and doing their own research. They're referred a couple of people, and so they go onto websites, go onto Google Business pages and do some [00:19:00] research. So make sure you've got a simple website that shares about what you do and is valuable and continues to build that trust ~You can-- I,~ I love this one.
If families or sports are somewhat in your wheelhouse, you could sponsor a youth team's jersey and just put your brand name on the front. And now every time that team is playing a game, everybody's seeing your brand in front of somebody else. Or you can host your own free mini workshop. I do that myself every month.
I invite people to a free workshop. If I've connected with them in person and I think they might be a good fit for the workshop, I make that invitation one-to-one. But I also promote it on my own LinkedIn page and things like that, so that people are reminded of what's going on. And, and I've even had people register that way and become clients.
So you just never know where those things are gonna go. So hosting a workshop, another investment. ~Uh,~ you might have to spend a little bit of money on resources to have a good camera for that, ~um,~ so that you look good in ~th-those~ settings. But it can be, [00:20:00] you know, pretty valuable. So those are some relatively cheap ways.
So going to cost some time, going to cost a little bit of money, but again, continues to create those touch points.
Bigger Budget Options
---
Bryan Steele: And then finally, here's the list of items which are a heavier investment. We're gonna be talking spending hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars here. ~Um,~ but they are valuable ways to continue to re-engage people who you've connected with.
The first is a membership, either to a chamber of commerce, a referral group like BNI or, ~um,~ you know, trade associations where it might be a specialization, maybe the American Marketers Association, something like that if you're a marketing agency or related to marketing in some way, shape, or form. Maybe there's a consultant group that you want to join, and so you invest in those groups, but it gets you in front of more people, and you get inside-the-room access to more connections, contact lists, things like that, where [00:21:00] people see you and are familiar with you and what you do because you are a member of that group.
You can sign up to have trade show booths. So if ~your potential prospect-- if~ your prospective buyers are those who would go to an event or a trade show, you can get a booth for that space. Like if you have, you know, outdoor equipment, for example, you might find an outdoor equipment trade show and get a booth for that.
Again, investment in some money to have that booth and your materials for that booth. But if it's in the right place and gives you another touch point with potential clients, it's a great investment This is where you talk about like paid search, SEO, meta ads, Google ads. You can invest money regularly on those to be boosted, to be promoted, to try and drive traffic to your ideal client and create connections and get people to, you know, sign up for a lead magnet, something like that.
But you can pay [00:22:00] for traffic to get in front of your client when ~they're,~ they're scrolling. Those are places where you can do it with some investment. You can do radio or podcast ads. So if there's a podcast that is right in your niche and they accept advertisers, you know, Nielsen found that host-read podcast ads actually drive 71% brand recall rates 'Cause I can tell you that I remember Squarespace and Dr.
Squatch ads from all sorts of podcasts 'cause it gets read by the host, and you hear it repeatedly, so that brand recall stays pretty high. So podcast ads. Maybe that's a place where you could invest some resources, or you could also host your own podcast. If you're willing to do the work and the time yourself, it's an investment in some of the equipment, a good camera, a good microphone, some lighting, or you can hire ~out-~ outside freelancers or agencies that can help with the production.
Obviously, again, this is a significant investment in resources, but [00:23:00] if having that natural engagement with others is what you want to build trust, it can be incredibly valuable. So, those are some categories that I wanted to make sure I shared with you, thinking about where you can continue to build engagement, build trust, and continue to show up over time to create more of those opportunities.
Find Their Watering Holes
---
Bryan Steele: Now, the last piece is the important piece. You've got this list in your mind where you could go, but now I want you to think about those who you want to have hire you or buy from you. Because many people are on social media, so everybody automatically thinks, "Oh, well, I gotta advertise on social." And I don't think that's just the case, because we only spend a small portion of our day there.
And what you really should do is think about those ideal clients, those people you've worked with in the past, and go, "What does their [00:24:00] day look like? Where are they at? Where are they showing up?" Because they talk about this like watering holes. You need to show up at the right watering hole where the people you're most wanting to connect with are.
So if they're not at networking events, if they're not at chamber events, then you shouldn't have a chamber membership, right? You should not go to those things because that's not where the right people are. So think through what it looks like for the rooms that those individuals are located in. Your buyer's at, what's their day in the life?
So in the morning, are they doing coffee shop? Are they doing school drop-off? Are they going to the gym? During their commute, what are they listening to? Do they listen to the radio? Are they listening to podcasts? What are their behaviors there? What does their workday look like? Do they have trade publications they read?
~Um,~ what sorts of associations are they in? Where do they get their education from? What LinkedIn groups are they a part of? [00:25:00] What online communities are they a part of as associated with their work and what they're consuming there? In the evenings, on the weekends, are they doing kids activities, sporting events, church, their own rec leagues?
Do they hang out at the hardware store? Are they on the golf course? Where are those places where you will find them showing up with their time? Because that's where you will also wanna be. At night when they're winding down, what TV shows are they watching? What are they scrolling? Are they on YouTube?
Are they on Reddit? Are they reading newsletters? What are those places that they're at? ~Uh,~ who already do they trust? Who are they connected with through their work? Are they talking to CPAs, bankers, realtors? Who are they interacting regularly with who they already trust that maybe you wanna build relationships with?
And then is AI recommending you? ~Like are they--~ what questions [00:26:00] are they asking AI, and can you also provide answers so that AI recommends you? ~It's a whole other rabbit hole.~ That's a whole other rabbit hole we could dive down, which we're not going to today because ~we're,~ we're already pretty much at time.
But really spend some time thinking through what does that day in the life look like for my buyers. If they're gonna work with me and they're gonna hire me, where are they at, and how can I show up over time in front of those same people and connect with them in person, online, asymmetrically, real time, offline, whatever it might be?
Where can you create those engagements? Where are those overlaps that you can show up?
Systems And Action Steps
---
Bryan Steele: Now, I wanna give you some tactical action steps today. You've got to have a system to follow up, so whatever these things you do, you need to be writing it down. Find a way that works for you. If it's just a notebook, and that's the simplest way [00:27:00] for you to make sure, "Hey, I went to an event, I grabbed a bunch of business cards, and I wrote everybody's name and email in a notebook," great.
That is a system that can be repeated, that can be followed, so you can continuously do the same thing. But it's important to do the same thing. Don't just change depending on what's happening. Continue to have a system which you follow up with. We talked about CRMs. We talked about other things in previous episodes.
Have a system of following up so that you know who you're trying to talk to. Make it repeatable. You know, every time you meet with somebody or you, ~uh,~ are introduced to somebody new, follow up within twenty-four hours. You know, can create that cadence where you're touching base with people over time. Now, final step.
Okay, this is the last thing to do. We've talked all this stuff. ~I ha--~ It's a smorgasbord, right? You don't have to do all of these things, and I don't want you to do all of the things. But I want you to pick the right [00:28:00] things. So your action is to think about those three people who have worked with you in the past.
What does their day look like? You can even ask them. Send them an email. Say, "Hey, what does a typical day look like for you? What things do you read? What do you listen to?" Ask some questions of people that have worked with you in the past. Get that information, get a little bit of feedback, and think through their day, where they're showing up and where you can also start interacting.
Considering your budget, your time, all of those things, what does it look like for you to show up in front of those people? And then take action on two or three items in that list. What does it mean to show up consistently over time? Do those steps, and I guarantee you will see progress in your business.
It may not happen overnight. It may take months. [00:29:00] But at some point, you're gonna be reminded why it takes multiple connections before somebody trusts you enough to buy from you.
Wrap Up And Next Series
---
Bryan Steele: Hope this helps. I'm so glad you're able to join me. Be sure to tune in next week. I'm starting a new series on automation. So one of the things that is so critical is saving time.
You're a side hustle. You don't have time to waste on this business. So let's put our effort in to create systems that automate pieces of our business and save us hours and save us our sanity. I'll see you next week.
[00:30:00]
