Business Education

These Clever Tricks Convince Skeptical Clients to Trust New Entrepreneurs

Breaking into the business world as a new entrepreneur is an uphill battle. You have the innovation, the drive, and the vision, but your toughest hurdle is often the most intangible: trust. Entering a market dominated by established players means skeptical clients view new ventures as high-risk. It’s understandable, though it makes it quite difficult for new companies to get off the ground and thrive. This calls for a different approach, and sometimes, it’s not self-evident.

5 Ways New Entrepreneurs Can Build Trust with Skeptical Clients

The cutthroat world of startups makes trust a precious currency that turns skeptics into loyal clients. As a new entrepreneur, you’re often dismissed as unproven—lacking the track record of established competitors. But trust isn’t built overnight; it’s earned through deliberate actions that demonstrate reliability and value. With such roadblocks, it’s easy to get discouraged. Fortunately, there are ways to break through. So, here are five practical strategies to win over doubtful prospects and foster lasting relationships.

1. Lead with Radical Transparency

Skeptical clients fear hidden agendas or subpar quality. Counter this by being upfront about your limitations and strengths. Share your process early: outline timelines, potential risks, and how you’ll mitigate them. For instance, if you’re a freelance web developer, send a detailed project roadmap on day one, including milestones and what happens if delays occur. Transparency disarms doubt. A 2023 HubSpot survey found that 94% of consumers are more likely to stick with brands that own their mistakes. When you admit you’re new but committed to excellence, clients see authenticity, not arrogance. Over time, this openness turns one-off gigs into repeat business.

2. Deliver Quick Wins to Prove Value

Don’t wait for the big reveal—offer immediate value to hook clients. For a marketing consultant, provide a free audit of their current campaigns, highlighting three actionable improvements. This “give before you get” tactic builds credibility fast. Think of it as a trust deposit. New entrepreneurs like Sarah Blakely of Spanx started by gifting prototypes to friends for feedback, creating buzz without a dime spent. Clients who taste success early are far less likely to bail, and word-of-mouth endorsements follow naturally.

3. Leverage Social Proof Strategically

Without a Rolodex of blue-chip clients, amplify what you do have. Collect testimonials from beta testers, early collaborators, or even personal networks. Display them prominently on your website or LinkedIn, but keep it genuine—fabricated praise erodes trust faster than silence. Partner with micro-influencers in your niche for co-branded content, or join industry forums to share insights without selling. Tools like Trustpilot or Google Reviews can help aggregate feedback. Remember, one detailed case study from a satisfied small client trumps vague promises every time.

4. Communicate with Consistency and Empathy

Ghosting clients or giving vague updates scream unreliability. Set clear communication cadences—weekly check-ins via email or Slack—and stick to them. More importantly, listen actively: Ask about their pain points and tailor your responses. Empathy bridges the experience gap. If a client hesitates due to budget concerns, acknowledge it: “I get it; starting small makes sense. Let’s scale as results roll in.” This humanizes you, transforming transactions into partnerships. Research from Harvard Business Review shows consistent communication boosts client retention by 25%.

5. Invest in Your Personal Brand

Position yourself as an expert, not just a vendor. Blog about industry trends, host free webinars, or speak at local events. Share your journey on social media—vulnerable stories of failures and pivots resonate deeply. A strong brand signals competence. Entrepreneurs like Gary Vaynerchuk built empires on relentless value-sharing, proving that expertise attracts trust like a magnet.

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We can make that dream a reality. Give us 30 minutes, and we will show you how to get your life back. Skeptical? Good! Put us to the test.

You can call us for your free appointment at 480-636-1720, or, if you prefer, Waters Business Consulting Group to learn more about us and the services we offer.

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New to Hiring, Here’s How to Spot Resume Red Flags

April 8, 2021 No Comments

It’s often said the first hire is the hardest, and that’s inescapably true for several reasons. Foremost, it’s because when you hire an employee, you’re hiring someone to represent your business. Which is to say, you’re entrusting them with your company’s entire reputation. Then, there’s the matter of consistency, even if that person has the competence. In other words, being able to do the job well over and over again. But, that’s not all, your first hire must be cost effective, helping your business to earn more than it did before. So, it’s no wonder business owners procrastinate as long as they can, putting off their first hire. What Resumes Are (and Aren’t) Of course, there’s the conundrum of where to begin and finding a good fit. This is where the resume comes into play, although you may not be very familiar with qualifying a person’s capabilities from a sheet or couple of sheets of paper. On average, hiring professionals spend just 7 seconds looking over each resume. That’s not a lot of time, and especially seems short if you’re doing it for the first time. Do you know who you are hiring? You need to review each resume, cover letter and job application that you receive with care. You want to ensure that the candidates you consider hiring are who they say they are and that their credentials are valid and match your needs. —The Balance Careers The good news is, you can get a lot out of just about any resume, if you know what to look for. Obviously, you have to start with an understanding of what a resume is and what it isn’t. A resume is simply a summary of a person’s qualifications and their competencies, along with their work history. That’s about it, what a resume isn’t, is a tell-all that will reveal all a person’s strengths and weaknesses. How to Spot Resume Red Flags The simple fact of the matter is that a resume only provides the information the applicant furnishes. Meaning, it will only tell you what the applicant wants you to know. However, this doesn’t mean it can’t give you some very key clues that you can use to your advantage. Here are the biggest red flags resumes can reveal: Inexplicable or unexplained gaps. A resume with big gaps, particularly between positions, is one that tells you a whole lot. Someone who has large gaps between jobs is likely an applicant you’d probably be better off without. Rock star qualifications. Conversely, if an applicant’s resume is packed with too much good news, it’s probably too good to be true. A resume with a cornucopia of qualifications is likely full of exaggerations, embellishments, half-truths, and more misleading information. tOO mAny TyPoes. Poor spelling, bad grammar, sloppy punctuation spell b-a-d n-e-w-s. If someone doesn’t pay close attention to the way they present his or her self on paper, he or she isn’t really interested impressing potential employers. Of course, these aren’t the only red flags you might find on a resume. Applicants who send their resumes from current employers’ email systems are telegraphing they’re not respectful of others’ time and resources. Unusual employment histories are also a red flag. People who hop from one industry to another do so for reasons that should concern you. What other red flags do you look for on resumes? Please take a quick moment to share your experiences and thoughts. After all, your perspective just might help someone else out! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Best Times for Small Businesses to Introduce New Products and Services—Besides January

January 16, 2026 No Comments

For a small business, the timing of a new product or service launch can be as crucial as the offering itself. So, it’s essential to understand key factors that help determine the most strategic, data-backed periods throughout the year. This will allow us to identify the best ways to align your launch with consumer behavior, seasonal trends, and economic cycles, thereby positioning your business for maximum success and traction.

Successful People Over Come These Big Challenges

May 16, 2017 No Comments

You’ve heard the cliches about you being your own biggest obstacle and starting with the person in the mirror to change course. Although inspirational, these leave something to be desired, and, it’s an important element called action. It’s difficult to take on challenges, especially when it’s your own business. These will be a reality, but, it’s how we act and react that ultimately dictates the outcome. The reason successful people act, or, react in certain ways is because they accept one immutable truth — avoidance does nothing but make situations worse. Oddly enough, just acting without a true purpose or plan, usually delivers the same consequence, which is why Zig Ziglar said many times over, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” Successful people not only act and react in a deliberate way, they do so with a goal in mind. Successful People Overcome these Big Challenges The trouble for some entrepreneurs is they let other things get in the way. Let’s be clear, we all have doubts, we all are susceptible to believing the worst, and to give into negative emotions. This is why there are no self-help manuals on how to fail. Failure is something we all do naturally, success is something that’s learned. It’s a combination of experience, judgment, and attitude. When you fail, you ought step into a Thomas Edison mindset, accepting the ultimate answer might be among many failures. Many small businesses are limited in growth by the number of hours they have in the day. They can’t scale their businesses without adding more people or automating existing processes. Automating sales and marketing processes allow small businesses to gain the efficiencies of their bigger counterparts. —The Business Journals Within these examples, we see perseverance, but, even the most resolute can be negatively impacted by various influences. All sorts of pressures can put an entrepreneur under a lot of stress and stress stretches thin clear thinking. It’s how you deal with these that determines if, as a business owner, you will succeed or will fail. In other words, successful entrepreneurs don’t let these challenges hold them back — not even the following: Money. This is perhaps one of the single largest challenges (read: myths) that plague the business world. While money does provide you with resources for options, that doesn’t mean said options are worthwhile. Just ask Facebook, a company valued at about $200 billion with more than a billion users worldwide. Just two years ago, in 2013, the company put a lot of resources (read: money) behind Facebook Home. It debuted with a two-year subscription price of $99. Just two months later, it drop precipitously to a mere $0.99, after consumers put-in their two-cents worth. Having to really think about spending money wisely means having to make informed decisions. Age. The number of years you’ve lived on this planet might be relatively few or relatively long, but, it doesn’t really matter. Notice the word “relatively.” Age is only a number and it doesn’t mean that you’re naive if you’re young or wise if you’re old. Your age doesn’t give people the authority or right, to tell you what you should and should not do. Self doubt. This is a primordial trait, and, one that’s designed to make us approach the unknown with caution. Our primitive ancestors simply didn’t know if something would be harmful or helpful until it was tried. Doubt is healthy because it forces us to take pause but it doesn’t have to be an insurmountable barrier. Use it to your advantage and don’t let it take control. Toxic people. Successful people don’t allow toxic people in their lives. What’s more, they quickly identify such bad personalities and stay clear. The reason some avoid what’s otherwise obvious, is the ability to rationalize certain relationships thinking that the good will outweigh the bad — it won’t. Another big challenge is one that’s very real and direct: the competition. You are nearly assured to see others succeeding in the same industry, even in the same niche. This can certainly be a discouragement, but, doesn’t have to be one. Instead, look at them as an inspiration, if he or she did it, then why can’t you do the same? While you might have different beginnings, talents, and resources, you can use what’s at your disposal to your advantage. Set small measurable goals, achieve each one, and built up success in an incremental, sincere fashion. Want to find out about what a business coach can do for you? [shareaholic app=”follow_buttons” id=”26833294″]