Your agency starts the moment someone else trusts you.

Until then you are sitting on the launch pad. Spending time trying to build audience and connections. Trying to create the conditions which build trust.

Then, after you’ve got a few small clients, you want a larger client to trust you, then a larger client still.

After clients with 10K, 20K, and 50K projects, you wonder how to secure a 100K project.

You look at the agencies doing huge projects for big names and think, ‘How good must they be to do that?’

Short answer: good, but notthatgood.

Go work at one of those agencies if you want, and you’ll realise they aren’t in a different league to you in terms of ability, they’ve just built enough reputation and proof.

(And the people that did those big projects probably don’t even work there anymore)

The projects aren’t the real challenge.

Big projects aren’t harder to do, it’s just harder to get clients to trust you with them.

You can build that trust.

In fact, you’ll always be building it.

If you’re going to grow as an agency, you’ll perpetually be trying to be trusted by new types of buyer.

Bigger value, more sophisticated outcomes, larger impact.

There are two things to know:

It isn’t easy; there are no shortcuts.

If there were everyone would have taken them, and trust is relative so they wouldn’t be a shortcut to anything.

What are the things that makeyoutrust? Hard earned experience or short term tactics?

You’ve got to take this on as a long-game.

You’ll never earn enough if you don’t aim to.

Your great work and ability to make connections and relate to people is why you are here. They are also major components of trust. Hooray.

But without a focus on building trust you are relying on chance. People that get to experience those things, trust you, the wider market has no idea.

How are you going to present yourself at every touch point in a way that makes potential buyers feel:

  • You’ll listen to, and validate, them and the problem they are trying to solve
  • You’ll deliver what you say, and won’t duck out when the road gets bumpy