Why trust is not a transaction

A client came to me this morning (not happy) and said that their MSP gave them a document to sign stating that the MSP is absolving themselves of all risk because she wouldn't approve the security operations solution they pitched... If your idea of “risk management” is having your client sign a document that says “you tried to sell them a tool or service, and they said no” … ->you're not managing risk. You’re managing your liability. And it shows. This is one of the fastest ways to create distrust, kill rapport, and get fired. It instantly turns the relationship adversarial. You’re no longer a partner or trusted advisor, and they see you as someone shifting blame just in case something goes wrong. That’s not leadership. That’s fear. Let me ask you something, How do you think it makes your client feel when you hand them a paper to sign that says, 'This one’s on you'?” You don’t need a signature to prove they own the risk. They already do. What they need is clarity, collaboration, and leadership. Here’s a better way: -Put the risk on a shared Risk Register. -Document the conversation in context, not as a threat, but as a roadmap. -Identify compensating controls you can implement. -Make the risk visible to decision-makers...NOT to blame, but to educate. -Revisit it periodically. Shrink it over time. That’s how you build trust. That’s how you protect the relationship. And that’s how you lead clients through risk & not around it. If you frame risk as a “you didn’t buy the thing, so you’re at fault” moment, you’re losing the negotiation before it even starts. But if you treat it like a shared challenge that you’ll solve together, you build a long-term partnership. One built on truth, not transactions. Stop asking for signatures. Start showing leadership. Your clients won’t forget it...and neither will your churn rate. #msp #ciso #riskmanagement #business

Did your “comment X for Y” LinkedIn post go viral? Trying to sell >$30k enterprise software? Here’s what to do and why… But before we get there we need to take a step back for just one moment… I have had a handful of 1-call $30k closes recently. But this sentence is conveniently concealing a lie of omission l. Because it ignores the almost DECADE I have spent building a brand here. The courses I have built. The webinars I have given. The podcasts I have been on. It ignores the shooting the shit calls with the founders, it ignores the beautiful friendship I have made with folks like Jen Allen-Knuth, or the 2 hour long session with Evan Dunn where PVP was invented, it ignores the fact that it took a lot to build trust and expertise so I can now vibe a GTM strategy. Let’s return to the topic at hand… and weirdly it’s not the AI SDR, but this exchange perfectly illustrates my point. Because look, I made a silly comment, and this was a chance for AI SDR man to become a human not an AI powered puff ball. For him to make me think, “maybe he has something!!” But instead of building a relationship, he automated the reply. Content is not a transaction, it’s the opportunity to begin a relationship. A relationship with you. With your ideas. With your frameworks. I never automate my post replies because it gives me a chance to have a conversation that I have been INVITED to by the person who responds. To engage and say, “here’s how X piece might be useful to you.” Somewhere along the way we forgot that sales is an exercise in building TRUST, not providing INFORMATION. There is almost always no additional fact someone needs to buy, especially on a first call, because when you’re making a >$30k purchase you want to know that the other person is trustworthy and a true expert. Trust takes time (brand), a relationship (1-1 interactions), social proof (referrals), and it’s generally built as a web. One comment on a post that’s gone viral MIGHT make some transactions happen if it grows big enough, but you build no trust like this. You destroy all the other brand equity you could be building for a shot at a cheap sale. And those handful of cheap customers? Expect them to treat you, your product, and its outcomes as transactions. Like they are buying a coke, not a nuclear reactor (most enterprise software is complex). If it works on Monday, they won’t talk to you, because they are drinking the coke you sold them. If it breaks on Tuesday, remember they give no shits about you—you sold them on the meetings being booked—and no meetings came in on Tuesday. So, they are going to yell at you, churn, and speak badly of your product… not try to fix the problem with you… because you’re a 2 bit transactional seller and your widget failed to deliver a complex outcome TODAY. Don’t automate the comment responses, begin a dialogue, even just a little one. And remember that buyers want education and trust, not information.

Been thinking a lot lately about higher order thinking & the notion of trust Most people in business think in first-order consequences too much …. the immediate cause and effect. Raise prices? More revenue. Cut costs? Higher margins. Make a deal? Get paid. But business (and life) doesn’t operate in a vacuum of simple transactions. To truly build something great, I think you need to think beyond the immediate result and understand higher-order effects. First-order thinking: A short-term transactional mindset. “If I win this deal, I make money.” Second-order thinking: Looking beyond the immediate. “If we push too hard on costs, we fail to invest in our future.” Third-order thinking: Understanding compounding effects. “If we build a reputation for integrity, we attract better long-term partners.” Fourth-order thinking: Designing systems of trust. “If we operate with integrity and deliver beyond expectations, our brand becomes a magnet for the best opportunities.” The Hidden Currency: Trust The highest-order thinkers don’t optimize for a single transaction, rather I wonder if they actually optimize for trust? In my experience trust is the invisible and underrated force multiplier: Reduces friction. Increase speed. Builds resilience. Attracts the best best talent and opportunity. Most businesses undervalue trust because it doesn’t show up immediately on a P&L. But trust compounds in ways that money never can. Short-term thinkers chase deals. Long-term builders invest in trust. The choice is yours.

We often hear our buy-side clients say they don’t really need to do a lot of diligence–usually we hear this when they have known the business for A LONG time and TRUST the seller. 🤔🤔🤔 The thing is…you don’t do diligence because you think the seller is going to cheat you. You don’t do it because you think they are a bad person or that they will commit fraud. So, I’m not sure what ‘trust’ has to do with it. 😕 Let’s say you are buying a home–your neighbor’s home. You know your neighbor. You’ve been neighbors for 10+ years. You’ve been to their home for a dinner or two and everything has always been fine. You know your neighbor is a good person. Would you buy their home without an inspection just because you like them? Probably not. I’m not a real estate professional…but I think it’s possible that even though your neighbor has been living in the home for a long time, there may be things they are unaware of that might directly impact the value of the home. 🤷♂️ The home could have… 👉 Termite Damage 👉 Knob-and-Tube Wiring from the 1930s 👉 Dry Rot Behind the Walls 👉 Galvanized Steel Pipes that Need Replaced 👉 A Water Heater, Furnace, or AC Unit that is Nearing the End of Its Life 👉 A Damaged Foundation You do the inspection so that you KNOW what the heck is going on–so that you enter into the transaction with a clear understanding of where you need to focus your time and energy post-acquisition. Nobody’s home is perfect. Nobody’s business is either. 🤷♂️ In acquisitions, you’re not doing diligence on the business you are acquiring because you suspect the owner is unscrupulous. You are doing it because there might be… 😲 A Mistake in a Prior Tax Filing 😲 An Error with Local Sales Tax Nexus 😲 A Cybersecurity Issue Involving HIPAA or PII 😲 Contracts that Don’t Make Sense 😲 Lack of Compliance on HR Requirements 😲 Missing Accounting Accruals These errors may not even be the seller’s fault; they could be due to the previous CPA, Lawyer, IT provider, HR consultant, Bookkeeper…you name it, there are a lot of hands involved. In many cases things come up that the seller isn’t even aware of–until it comes up. 💣 ☝️This is why diligence is still VERY important, even when you know or trust the seller. Plus, it saves a lot of wasted time, money, effort, and potentially blame and resentment toward the seller. 👌💯 #buyside #duediligence #mergersandaquisitions #buyingacompany

Not every client interaction needs to be about a pitch, a proposal, or a project. Sometimes, the most impactful work we do is showing up without an ask, just to listen, support, or share a perspective that might help, even if it never hits a P&L. Relationships built on trust, not transactions, are the ones that endure. And funny enough, when you stop trying to sell and start trying to help, business tends to follow anyway. The real ROI?: You learn more about what truly matters to your clients You build credibility that money can’t buy A give is more valuable than an ask You create advocates, not just accounts You have to show up, though.

Building trust is more important than building technology. When we began Commonlands work in rural Uganda, our first instinct was to focus on the tech — the maps, the certificates, the microloan platform. It made sense. Technology could scale solutions faster, streamline processes, and offer transparency. But without trust, even the most advanced tools are useless. Many had seen outsiders arrive with promises before—only for those promises to vanish, leaving communities worse off. Why should they trust us? We had to earn it. That meant showing up—not just once or twice, but consistently. → Sitting under trees and listening to their stories. → Respecting their skepticism and their pace. → Engaging local leaders to vouch for our intentions. Over time, we saw something remarkable. People began opening up. They shared their stories and their challenges. Only then did the technology become meaningful—it became a tool they could see themselves using, not something imposed on them. This is what made us achieve an incredible milestone: ➜ 2,500 plots documented. ➜ 99% loan repayment rate. Then I realized that trust is slow to build but incredibly fragile. And when you’re working with communities, it’s non-negotiable. Technology might be exciting, but relationships are what sustain progress. Today, every certificate we issue and every loan we facilitate is built on a foundation of trust—not just innovation. And that, I’ve learned, is the only way real change happens. Thoughts? Do you believe a lack of trust can impact the success of a project? Follow 👉 Darius and repost! #communitydevelopment #trustbuilding #socialimpact #sustainability #changemaking

True Relationships Aren’t Transactions 💬 “If you’re keeping score, you’re not really connecting.” I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea lately—not just in networking, but in leadership, business partnerships, even friendships. We all say relationships matter. But are we really showing up that way? In a world where “What’s in it for me?” dominates too many conversations, choosing to give without expectation is a bold act. It’s also where the most genuine, long-term impact begins. Let’s unpack this a bit. The Ledger Mentality—Why It Doesn’t Work “I helped them, now they owe me.” “I showed up for them—but they didn’t return the favor.” Sound familiar? When we treat our relationships like an accounting system, we lose the human part. This scarcity mindset breeds disappointment, resentment, and shallow connections. Genuine impact isn’t a tit-for-tat game. It's a long game. Generosity is the Gateway to Influence When you lead with generosity—not to impress, but to serve—you start attracting the right kind of people. People who value connection over convenience. People who remember how you made them feel, not just what you did. And that’s where trust, loyalty, and influence are born. Real Leaders Give Without Keeping Score Look around at the leaders you admire most. I bet they’re not keeping a tally of favors—they’re pouring into people, mentoring quietly, opening doors, and not announcing every move. These are the people who create movements, not just moments. Make It Practical—Here’s Your 3-Day Relationship Challenge DAY 1: Message someone in your network just to thank them or offer encouragement. DAY 2: Introduce two people who might benefit from knowing each other. DAY 3: Share something of value (article, idea, opportunity)—with no strings attached. You don’t have to post about it. Just do it. Watch what shifts. Let’s Talk—Because This Part Matters Have you ever felt let down by someone who “owed you”? Or maybe you’ve given with no return—only to be surprised later? Drop your story, insight, or lesson below. Let’s normalize relationships built on value, trust, and authenticity—not transactions.

What are the three pieces you need to complete a transaction? For starters, eliminate the mindset of the transaction itself, and begin thinking of how you can genuinely add value, solve a problem, help someone, serve them first. Delivering real value is about equipping clients with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed on their own terms. Genuine assistance and empowerment might mean the clients don't require your services right away or even at all. And 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. This became perfectly clear to me when a client, after exploring our cash flow model and tweaking it to fit his construction project's needs, realized he could self-finance with the incoming receivables they had and a minor tweak to some supplier terms. In other words, there was no need for our loan program. This outcome, while not immediately beneficial in terms of a transaction for us, reinforced the value of our services. It showcased to me our role not just as a lender but as a partner in their financial strategy. This scenario is far from being a lost opportunity because it was never about the transaction in the first place. Down the road, they have learned, grown, and are better equipped when a new challenge comes about. I bet there is a better-than-average chance they will even come to us again if they need a solution, not just because of the services we offer but because of the trust and value already established. In my opinion, value, trust, and being genuine, must work together, you can’t have one without the others: if you are adding value, you are building trust, and if you aren’t adding value, you aren’t gaining trust. But without being authentic, you are breaking both the value and trust you are putting forth. Let go of how the value will drive sales, or the mindset that giving leads to receiving. If you add value, you enforce authenticity, and you lead with trust, the long-term impact will create deeper, more meaningful relationships that go beyond what it means to transact. Think about the lifetime value of each RELATIONSHIP you build and forget the short-term transaction value – you will be amazed at what happens next! If you agree, please share similar stories or add your experiences - I would love to hear them! #value #businessgrowth #mindset #relationships #construction #constructionindustry

Most people think investor communication is just about answering emails. It’s not. I started as a passive investor. The worst experiences are when you are left in the dark. No text messages. No phone calls. No emails. Silence. That’s when I realized how fragile trust really is. These days, we operate very differently. When an investor commits capital, we treat that relationship like a responsibility, not a transaction. Here’s how we approach communication on every deal: • Monthly updates are non-negotiable • Every investor gets a response within 24 hours • We have team members fully dedicated to investor relations And most importantly: → We share it all: Good, bad, ugly. The real key to trust isn’t performance. It’s consistency. • Set clear expectations up front. • Communicate when it’s easy. • Communicate when it’s hard. That’s how partnerships last longer than just a deal. Check out this quick clip where I discuss investor communication:

Construction doesn’t just need fixing because of tech adoption rate or lack of industrialization, or whatever you have heard. It needs fixing because of the value of trust. Had a great chat with my co-nerd Shubhankar about this. For example: SMB contractors still prefer taking jobs over referrals than over their website today. No warm intro = no contractor ? Yup. And it makes sense — in construction, something breaks easily. Customers usually do not get to do the same transaction with the same tradesperson 10x - thus building repetition and comfort with each other. And when it DOES break, it costs a lot. Every project is unique, every supply chain unpredictable. One truck parked wrong? You’re looking at hours of delay. So how do I get to have comfort working with my client - or my tradesperson - if we haven’t done 10 projects before with each other? Before we add more AI… Maybe we should start with what’s missing? --- Trust Takes Time⎟Why The Construction Industry Runs On Trust Not Tech --- tl;dr: 🤝 Trust gaps persist globally, regardless of market maturity 📦 Perfect execution impossible - every project unique 💰 Payment terms show deep trust issues 🔑 Track record beats tech every time 💡 Solve trust before AI --- Practical Nerds Website: https://lnkd.in/esnkThAu Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/edJrnQND Foundamental: https://lnkd.in/em8xc4sm #ConstructionTrust #SupplyChain #WorkingCapital