this shortcut bites you in the ... [🐝U]

In the past month, I’ve had several conversations that genuinely made my stomach drop.

“I don’t know … I made it up”
“I’m just sharing what others are saying”
“It’s what ChatGPT recommended”
“I just need to get them to say yes for now. I’ll worry about the rest later”

None of these were jokes.
These were all serious attempts people tried to attract clients

I know imposter syndrome well … better than I’d care to admit
& I understand wanting to do what you can to attract clients …

Especially when you’re just getting started
& we’re towards the end of another year of missed targets

I get it.
I do.
& I used to do it - a lot - growing up in my family just to “fit in” let along stand out.
But understanding the pressure to grow doesn’t erase the consequences …

Do you really want to start a relationship based on a lie … or a stretched truth?

I’m not asking to judge you…
But tf the answer’s anything but a “heck no!” please unsubscribe …
I’m just not your “people”

The real damage isn’t obvious at first.
It shows up later …
→ in awkward conversations
→ questions you can’t answer
→ the subtle sense that something’s “off”
→ or even different from what they’ve seen from you before.

Because marketing isn’t just about getting a “yes”
It’s about what happens AFTER it.

This is where most marketing advice disappears

John Jantsch (Duct Tape Marketing) took the familiar “Know-Like-Trust” idea & expanded it into something more useful (& powerful)

The Marketing Hourglass
→ it starts with “Know-Like-Trust”
→ then you “Try-Buy”
→ & when that goes well, they Repeat (the buy) & Refer

In other words, your marketing doesn’t end with the “yes”
That’s actually where the foundation begins.

It really is the “Ultimate Marketing Engine”
But only when trust is real

The real role of trust in “Know-Like-Trust”

Trust isn’t the last step before the YES they’ll try-buy
It’s a multiplier
& even though it’s listed last in the order, it’s part of every step.

Trust is:
→ “this person tells me the truth … even when it doesn’t benefit them”
→ “they’ve actually been where I’m trying to go”
→ “& when asking follow-up questions, they don’t get weird or defensive!”

The moment that changes, people feel it … even if they can’t name it yet.

You build Trust through
→ consistently showing up
→ being honest as you do it
→ sharing lived experience (the bad & the good)

& this is where the shortcuts start to feel tempting

Why making stuff up feels like it works … at first!

Sure, it absolutely can get attention
- it sounds confident
- it mimics the ‘expert’ language
- it fits what people think they should say

That’s good, right?
Wrong!

What happens when someone tries something you’ve shared that isn’t based on your own experience … or worse … completely made up?

Why ‘making stuff up’ decomposes fast (& smells)

Made-up advice doesn’t just dissolve like cotton candy … it creates friction (& cavities!)

That can kill the trust & have them think “you can’t help” so they never reach out…
You lost them before you started talking to them.

Eventually, people DO start asking questions.
Not to call you out but for clarification.

Then what?
Do you admit you made it up?
That will not persuade them to work with you.

Or maybe you double down on the lie?

Chances are you start backtracking, over-explaining, getting defensive, or maybe start dropping “it depends” with no depth.

This isn’t just marketing
& it’s definitely not “do whatever you need to do” that gets their attention

That’s why building trust can’t be faked.
It’s either there … or you’re constantly trying to manage the potential fallout.
& if you lose it, you’ll never get it back.

You’re training your audience on what to expect from you
& you can’t build a long-term business on #FakeNews

Nowhere is this more obvious than in the quantity (& quality) of your referrals.

Where this really shows up …referrals

In The Referral Engine, John Jantsch explains that referrals aren’t luck.
They’re a direct by-product of trust, experience, & follow-through.

People don’t just refer you when you give them “epic” wins.

I’ve had people refer me who got nowhere further along after working with me
They got what they expected.
They just weren’t honest with themselves (or me) about being ready to do the work
& the guarantees I made were based on my actions, not theirs.

& here’s where the long-term damage really shows up…

The cold-hard truth is literally & figuratively obvious in my solar setup … or lack thereof.

Unfortunately, I’m at the point where I can’t ask for a refund
- even though I STILL don’t have power (or heat)
- even though I STILL don’t even have all the equipment I paid for

These are things THEY had control over & gave me timelines for … repeatedly
& they didn’t communicate when they knew they couldn’t meet them
& only changed things after I followed up when the deadline passed
& some were flat-out lies

Now they’re backpedalling, very defensive, & seriously over-explaining with excuses

What do you think the chances are I’d actually refer my solar contractor to anyone?
EVER?

How likely am I to hire them to do other work?
EVER?

It doesn’t matter if it’s $3 or $30,000 …
You can talk a good game
But if you lie about your ability to walk it

It’s the beginning of the end

Can things go wrong with timelines?
Definitely.

Does proactive communication help?
Absolutely.

That’s all assuming you’re starting from a foundation built on fact, not fiction.

Are you starting to see how stretching the truth or coloring outside the reality lines at the beginning sounds good & feels faster, it can hurt long-term?

Yes, it feels slower … & that’s a good thing!

Every time I share where I go wrong in a newsletter, I get at least 1 unsubscribe.
There IS that split-second where it feels personal … a sense of rejection

But here’s the thing …
it takes my logical side a second to catch up
the “filter” is working
We’re not a good fit & people are seeing themselves out.

It’s not “slower” marketing
It’s “stronger” marketing

& sometimes it feels “lonlier” because you’re not trending or going viral or whatever other vanity metric the bros are flexing.

Maybe they’re looking for a “get rich quick” option
or maybe they expect me to be perfect
or maybe they’re just not comfortable with my shared vulnerability

I don’t know
& that’s OK

Because inevitably, the newsletters I “lose” someone in
are the same emails that get me the most replies that thank me for sharing & reinforce the relationship … they trust me more.

& no matter how common asking AI or making stuff up is online:
Trust is NOT (& never will be) all about
- polished posts
- borrowed opinions (unless you acknowledge that)
- making stuff up because it “sounds good”

‘making stuff up’ or ‘asking AI’ is tempting because it’s easier to do
But that’s also what makes it so dangerous

What authentic & transparent marketing looks like

Authentic & transparent doesn’t mean you have to
- overshare
- be unpolished
- or have it all figured out

What you learn in other jobs is transferable to your business

It’s possible to take your personal experiences & leverage them for your business
You can use the skills from hobbies & other volunteer work

You’re not starting from scratch.
& you don’t have to ‘make it up’ or blindly share what ‘AI recommended’

Just because you haven’t been paid for or had a specific title doesn’t mean your skills & experience aren’t relevant & incredibly valuable.

Real trust doesn’t come from sounding impressive
It comes from being real … & letting the right people recognize it.

Pick 1 story you’ve been avoiding sharing because it feels “less impressive”
Or 1 that you may have stretched the truth on.

Let me know how you plan on sharing it so you can build trust instead of break it.

Make it a great “authentically transparent“ week!
EG

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