Most companies think they sell products or services. They talk about features and pricing and promote sales collateral. But they’re missing the point. None of that matters if people don’t trust you. Trust is the currency; everything else is just detail.

I learned this the hard way, and more than once. I’ve built products and offered services that were technically impressive, beautifully branded, even cheaper than the competition. But they didn’t move until we earned trust. Not likes or shares, but trust. That’s when deals closed, users stuck around, and word of mouth spread.

You’re not in the product business. You’re in the trust business. 

Trust is what keeps people from bouncing off your site. It’s what makes a buyer bet on you when ten others are in the mix. It’s what gets someone to recommend you to a friend and not feel like they’re risking their reputation.

Trust shows up everywhere. Your website either builds trust or kills it. Every pixel sends a message: do these people know what they’re doing? Did they care enough to design something clear and usable? Is the language confident without being pushy? Same goes for your content. If it reads like an SEO exercise or AI, people feel it. If it’s thoughtful and useful, that builds trust.

And the channels you use matter. If you’re hawking things on social media but never show up in industry groups, conferences, or trusted media, you’re not really in the room. You’re shouting from the outside. Trust is proximity. If I can’t find you, or worse, if I find you and it looks like no one’s home, that hurts you. Most leaders underestimate how much simply being visible builds credibility.

Design is a big one. Brand design, email layout, slide decks—they all communicate something. Good design signals care and clarity. Bad design suggests the opposite. Budgets are tight, and not everyone can hire a full-time designer, but you can’t afford to ignore it. Design doesn’t need to be flashy. It just needs to feel intentional. Unintentional design says “we didn’t think this through.”

Then there’s social proof. Four in ten customers don’t trust ratings that are posted on a brand’s website. For that, you need third-party validation. Case studies, testimonials, press mentions—these aren’t vanity. They’re trust accelerants. Even better if you can show real outcomes. When someone sees a peer vouch for you, the decision gets easier—especially in B2B.

Presence matters too. Who’s leading the company? What do they stand for? Can I find them on podcasts, interviews, LinkedIn? And when I do, do they sound like someone worth betting on? Or do they sound like they’re reading off a script? 73% of decision makers agree that thought leadership content is a more trustworthy basis for assessing a company than marketing materials. 60% of those same decision-makers are willing to pay a premium to companies with strong thought leadership. In short, sharing insights is good for business.

Customer service is critical to building trust. 83% of customers trust you more if you provide an excellent experience. 3 in 4 consumers will spend more with businesses that provide a good experience. 56% of customers rarely complain about negative customer service—they simply switch to your nearest competitor. This is great news for your competitors, since 81% of consumers would switch to a different company if they found out it had a better customer experience.

Bottom line: Trust isn’t just nice to have. It’s your moat.

So how do you build trust today? Start with your homepage, blog, and LinkedIn profile. Do they help someone trust you more or less? Ask people outside your company. You might be too close to see it.

Then, show up. Where do your prospects spend time? Be there—not just selling, but answering questions, sharing insights, and offering help. That’s how trust starts.

Next, tighten your loops. Respond faster. Follow up like a real person. Be consistent. No one trusts a flake. Keep promises, especially the small ones. If you say you’ll send something Tuesday, send it Tuesday. If you mess up, own it quickly and clearly. Nothing builds trust faster than accountability.

Finally, let people see the humans behind the company. Share your thinking. Publish your roadmap, your values, your wins, your losses. The more you open the curtain, the more people see there’s a real team doing real work. Your CEO should be leading this charge.

The companies that win aren’t always the ones with the best features or lowest prices. They’re the ones who make us feel like they’re not going anywhere. Like they’ll do right by us. Like they’re worth rooting for.

That feeling is trust—and it’s what you’re actually selling.

*Mo Shehu, PhD is the CEO of Column — a UK-based thought leadership firm. With over a decade of experience in tech and marketing, Shehu helps business leaders and B2B brands grow through clear, credible content and research. He lives in the UK.