Shawn Strawser on Building Trust: The Sales Principle That Never Goes Out of Style
My name is Shawn Strawser, and after more than 20 years working in sales, advertising, business development, and marketing strategy, one principle has remained more important than almost anything else:
People do business with people and organizations they trust.
Technology has changed.
Advertising has changed.
The way customers research businesses has changed.
Sales tools have changed.
Marketing platforms have changed.
But trust still plays a major role in whether someone chooses to take the next step.
Throughout my career, I have seen strong relationships create opportunities that no sales script, marketing campaign, or piece of technology could manufacture on its own.
Trust Begins Before the Sale
Salespeople sometimes think trust begins once a customer agrees to buy.
I believe it starts much earlier.
It begins with the first interaction.
Did you respect someone’s time?
Did you listen?
Did you understand what they were trying to accomplish?
Did you answer their questions clearly?
Did you make promises you could actually keep?
Every interaction contributes to the way someone evaluates you.
That is why even a prospect who does not buy today should still leave the conversation with a positive impression.
They may become a customer later.
They may refer someone else.
Or they may simply remember that you treated them professionally.
Reputation is built one interaction at a time.
Do What You Say You Are Going to Do
This sounds simple, but it is one of the most important lessons I have learned in business.
If you say you will call Tuesday, call Tuesday.
If you promise to send information, send it.
If there is a problem, address it.
If something is delayed, communicate.
Customers do not expect perfection.
They do expect reliability.
Over time, consistently doing what you say you will do creates confidence.
People begin to understand that they can depend on you.
That confidence becomes incredibly valuable.
Trust Helped Build My Sales Career
I began my advertising career in 2005 and eventually moved from production into advertising sales.
During my time working with the Immokalee Bulletin and Caloosa Belle newspapers, I became known as the “Rainmaker” because of my ability to generate advertising revenue and develop new business.
Later, in a corporate inside-sales role, I brought in more than 300 new accounts within six months.
After transitioning into outside sales, I eventually became the only Marketing Consultant at SEPI in more than 40 years to exceed $500,000 in annual sales.
Those accomplishments involved prospecting, persistence, and sales ability.
But none of those things work for very long without trust.
Customers have options.
They can buy from someone else.
They can choose another company.
They can decide not to spend the money at all.
Strong relationships make it easier for customers to feel confident about moving forward.
Listening Is One of the Fastest Ways to Build Trust
People want to know that you understand them.
That requires listening.
A common mistake in sales is thinking that the person who talks the most controls the conversation.
I have found the opposite can be true.
Good questions can be far more powerful than a long presentation.
What are you trying to accomplish?
What is currently working?
What is frustrating you?
What would make this successful?
What have you tried before?
Those questions help uncover what actually matters.
They also demonstrate that the conversation is about the customer’s needs, not simply your sales target.
Do Not Recommend Something Just Because You Can Sell It
One of the fastest ways to damage trust is recommending something you know is not right for the customer.
A short-term sale is rarely worth damaging a long-term relationship.
There have been times throughout my career when the right recommendation was smaller than what the customer initially considered.
There are also times when the right answer may be:
“I don’t think this is the best fit for what you’re trying to accomplish.”
That may cost you revenue today.
But credibility has value.
Customers remember people who are willing to be straightforward with them.
Admit When You Do Not Know
Salespeople sometimes feel pressure to have an immediate answer to every question.
That can create problems.
There is nothing wrong with saying:
“I don’t know the answer to that, but I will find out.”
The important part is actually finding out.
Making up an answer may protect your ego for 30 seconds.
Giving someone accurate information protects the relationship.
Trust is strengthened when people know you care more about being correct than simply appearing knowledgeable.
Transparency Matters
Customers appreciate clarity.
They want to know:
What does it cost?
What should they expect?
What are the limitations?
How long will something take?
What happens next?
Ambiguity creates uncertainty.
Uncertainty makes people hesitate.
Strong sales and marketing communication should reduce unnecessary uncertainty.
That does not mean overwhelming customers with information.
It means making important information clear when they need it.
Trust Matters Even More Online
When I began my career, many business relationships started face-to-face or over the telephone.
Today, a potential customer may form an opinion about a company before anyone at the business knows that person exists.
They search Google.
They visit the website.
They read reviews.
They look at social media.
They research the people behind the company.
They compare competitors.
That means businesses are building—or losing—trust digitally before the first conversation occurs.
A company’s online presence should answer a simple question:
Does this look like an organization I would feel comfortable doing business with?
Your Website Is Part of Your Reputation
I believe a website should do more than simply look professional.
It should reinforce credibility.
That means:
- Clear information
- Accurate claims
- Professional presentation
- Easy navigation
- Helpful content
- Real contact information
- Consistent branding
- Clear calls to action
- Evidence of experience
- An understandable value proposition
People make judgments quickly online.
A confusing or outdated website can create doubt before a salesperson ever gets an opportunity to have a conversation.
Content Can Build Trust Before a Conversation
This is one reason I believe useful content is such an important part of modern marketing.
An article can answer a question before a prospect asks it.
A case study can demonstrate how you think.
An About page can explain your experience.
A professional profile can help someone understand who they are dealing with.
For me, ShawnStrawser.com serves that same purpose.
It provides a place where people can learn about my career, my professional experience, the lessons I have learned, and the way I approach sales and marketing.
That transparency helps establish context before a conversation ever begins.
Marketing Should Not Try to Trick People
Some marketing tactics are designed almost entirely around getting attention.
Attention matters.
But attention without trust has limited value.
A headline can get someone to click.
The experience after the click determines what happens next.
If the message is misleading, exaggerated, or disconnected from reality, the business may gain traffic while losing credibility.
I prefer marketing that clearly communicates value and helps the right people understand whether the organization is a good fit for them.
Good marketing should create confidence, not suspicion.
Trust and Follow-Up Go Together
Follow-up is another place where trust can either grow or disappear.
If someone asks for information and does not receive it, that sends a message.
If someone submits an inquiry and waits days for a response, that sends a message.
If a salesperson promises to reconnect and never does, that sends a message.
Customers judge businesses by these small experiences.
Strong follow-up shows that the organization pays attention.
It demonstrates reliability before the person even becomes a customer.
Trust Does Not End When the Sale Closes
Winning the business is not the finish line.
In many ways, that is when the real relationship begins.
The customer now gets to determine whether everything you said before the sale was true.
Did you deliver?
Did you communicate?
Did you resolve problems?
Did you continue providing value?
Did you disappear as soon as the transaction was complete?
Long-term relationships are created after the initial sale.
That is also where referrals and repeat business are often generated.
Reputation Compounds Over Time
One of the things I appreciate more after more than two decades in business is how valuable a good reputation becomes.
You cannot manufacture it overnight.
You build it.
Customer by customer.
Conversation by conversation.
Project by project.
Year by year.
A reputation for reliability can create opportunities long after the original relationship began.
People move companies.
Businesses change ownership.
Customers talk to other customers.
Networks grow.
The way you treat people follows you.
Business Ownership Changed My Perspective
Being an owner of Casey’s Custom Decor has given me another perspective on trust.
As a salesperson, you understand the importance of keeping customers happy.
As an owner, you see how customer trust affects the entire business.
Reviews.
Repeat purchases.
Referrals.
Word of mouth.
Customer service.
Brand reputation.
Each one is connected.
Marketing may introduce someone to the business, but the actual customer experience determines whether the relationship continues.
Trust Is Also a Marketing Strategy
Businesses often think about trust as something separate from marketing.
I think trust is one of the most powerful marketing assets an organization can build.
A trusted business earns:
- Repeat customers
- Referrals
- Better reviews
- Stronger relationships
- Higher retention
- More confidence from new prospects
Those outcomes directly influence growth.
That is why customer experience and marketing strategy should not be treated as completely separate functions.
What Shawn Strawser Has Learned After More Than 20 Years in Sales
If I could give a salesperson or marketer one piece of advice, it would be this:
Protect your reputation.
Sales goals come and go.
Marketing platforms change.
Companies change.
Products change.
Job titles change.
Your reputation follows you.
Be someone who follows through.
Be someone who listens.
Be someone who communicates.
Be someone who gives customers accurate information.
Be someone people are comfortable recommending.
Those habits may not always create the fastest possible transaction.
But over the course of a career, they create something significantly more valuable.
They create trust.
The Principle That Has Never Changed
My professional career has taken me from newspaper production to advertising sales, inside sales, outside sales, digital marketing, marketing strategy, and business ownership.
I have watched entire industries change.
But I still come back to the same principle.
People want to know they can trust the person or organization they are working with.
Build that trust before the sale.
Protect it during the sale.
Strengthen it after the sale.
Do that consistently, and you are not simply building customers.
You are building relationships.
And strong relationships are one of the most durable forms of business growth I have encountered.
About Shawn Strawser
Shawn Strawser is a marketing strategist, advertising sales professional, and business owner with more than 20 years of experience in sales, business development, new account acquisition, digital marketing, and growth strategy.
Shawn Strawser began his advertising career in 2005 and later earned recognition for record-setting sales performance. His career includes bringing in more than 300 new accounts within six months and becoming the only Marketing Consultant at SEPI in more than 40 years to exceed $500,000 in annual sales.
Today, Shawn focuses on marketing strategy, digital growth, business development, and creating practical systems designed to produce measurable results.