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Reputation & Trust – how to earn trust or get it back

Your Lack of Evidence is Damaging Trust in You & Losing You Sales

In tech, buyers aren’t just comparing products; they’re managing risk to their budgets, reputations, and careers. In that world, trust is earned through evidence, not claims.

Yet, time and again tech companies struggle to deliver enough evidence of their capability and expertise. Testimonials, case studies/success stories take forever to produce, partly because they’re not respected enough as important sales enablement artefacts.

But case studies and success stories are now among the most influential content types for B2B decisions. And trusted reviews and testimonials can make buyers up to 90%+ more likely to purchase.

At the same time, decision-making is becoming more risk-averse and defensive so B2B decision-makers often choose the ‘least blameable’ option over the boldest one.

Which is why over-investing in evidence is crucial.

In 2026, your marketing and sales dollars should be furiously building an evidence stack:

Evidence isn’t ‘supporting material.’ It is the trust strategy.

In a high-stakes, high-scrutiny buying environment, the company with the strongest evidence - clearly, consistently and persuasively told - wins.

Narrative Power – The leadership story playbook

Rich Detail: The Fuel That Makes Stories Land

Many stories fail because they’re generic. Detail is what makes a story feel true.

Richness comes from specificity: the early-morning meeting that changed the trajectory, the frustrated customer email that sparked a transformation, the time pressure, the unexpected constraint, the single turning point that forced a new strategy.

Rich detail builds:

Get the above right, and your audience doesn’t just follow the story; they believe in you, and they believe in the underlying truth of the ‘message’ contained in the story.

Influence & Framing – Small moves, big impact

Oren Klaff: Change The Frame; Change The Game

Klaff’s core point is simple: people don’t accept new ideas until you replace the frame they use to interpret the world. If you step into someone else’s frame, you’re stuck reacting, defending, or over-explaining – and your influence drops fast.

His method: introduce a stronger frame through short ‘certainty stories’ - sharp, high-impact narratives that signal competence, authority, and pattern recognition.

These stories lower resistance because they make your point feel inevitable, not debatable.

What this looks like in practice (Klaff-style example):

You’re pitching an AI project to a CFO whose frame is: “IT projects blow budgets; my job is to cut costs.” If you stay inside that frame, you talk features, savings, and timelines while they stay sceptical.

Klaff would flip it with a certainty story that installs a new frame - from ‘IT cost’ to ‘risk of being left behind’:

“We’ve worked with three firms in your space. Two delayed modernising their data and AI stack for ‘just one more budget cycle.’ Eighteen months later, both came back to the same decision, but with higher churn, more manual rework, and less room to move. The third moved early, ring-fenced one critical process, and is now using those gains to fund everything else.”

You’re no longer arguing for an AI project. You’ve reframed the choice as:

That’s Klaff: don’t fight inside their frame, replace it with your own. Of course, you need to know or figure out what their frame is first. Future issues will explore how to do this.

Crucial Conversations – Navigating high-stakes comms

Speaking Honestly Without Triggering Defensiveness

Most people either soften hard truths so much that nothing changes or deliver them so bluntly that they cause unnecessary damage.

The real skill sits in the middle: saying what’s true, clearly and respectfully, without turning the conversation into a fight.

A simple framework for high-stakes situations (inside or outside the business):

Internal example – performance or delivery issue

“Over the past month, three deadlines have been missed. I’m worried there’s a deeper issue we haven’t surfaced yet, and it’s starting to affect the team’s credibility. How do you see it?”

You’re specific and non-accusatory. You’re naming the impact without attacking the person, and you’re creating space for them to explain, not just defend.

External example – tense negotiation with a client

“In the last two review cycles, we’ve added scope without adjusting budget or timeline. My concern is that we’re now at a point where quality will suffer if we keep absorbing changes. What’s your perspective on how we manage this from here?”

You’re not saying, “you’re unreasonable.” You’re anchoring the discussion in facts and trade-offs, then inviting them into problem-solving.

Honesty without empathy creates resistance. Empathy without honesty creates confusion. Influence lives in the balance.

Internal Comms – How to connect, not just inform

For Less Chaos, Get Clear On Your Top Priorities

Most internal chaos isn’t about workload – it’s about unclear priorities.

When everything sounds urgent, people default to defensiveness, firefighting, and task-juggling instead of meaningful progress.

A simple hierarchy cuts through the noise:

“This is #1. This is #2. Everything else supports these.”

Clear sequencing reduces stress, accelerates execution, and protects teams from burnout because people know what to trade off and why.

Example – guiding your team:

“For this quarter, our top priority is stabilising the platform. Second is improving NPS. Any work that clashes with those needs to wait or be reshaped to support them.”

Now your team has a decision rule, not just a to-do list.

Your team’s focus reflects your clarity, not their capability or work ethic.

Final thought: Rank priorities publicly, explain the trade-offs behind them, and keep them updated consistently.

PS: If you’re not the leader, you still have leverage. Ask for clearer priorities and offer to draft these for the team. Done politely and respectfully, this makes your leaders’ job easier and puts you on the radar for bigger responsibilities, new projects, and future promotions.

Getting Clear – Communication that cuts through 

Clear Thinking Produces Quality Conversations

Most people walk into meetings underprepared and the danger is they’ll waste time rambling on before getting to the point or confusing themselves and the other party.

Clear communication starts before the conversation.

Spend an hour, 30 minutes or even five minutes answering:

Prepared thinking produces clear ideas. When you walk into a meeting with that clarity, you earn respect, keep the conversation productive, and move action forward.

Ask Edith - Your communication challenges, answered

Communicating Strength Against Louder Competitors

Q: We’re losing deals to competitors with louder messaging but weaker capabilities. How do I communicate our strengths without sounding defensive?

A: Shift from comparison to clarity and evidence. Instead of “we’re better than X,” say, “Here’s what we solve that others overlook. Here’s how our approach reduces risk. Here’s the outcome you get that others haven’t delivered.” Back this up with hard proof – numbers, case studies, benchmarks, and client quotes. Then add a counterintuitive signal of confidence and respect for their judgement. “We’re not the right partner for everyone. If you want the cheapest short-term option, that’s not us. If you want fewer surprises and a solution that holds under pressure, that’s where we tend to be a better fit.” This frames you as a considered choice, not a desperate challenger, and it taps into the buyer’s autonomy - they decide if you’re right for them.

Got a communication challenge you want answered in the next issue of this newsletter? Reply to this email with your question and I’ll give you my perspective.

IN THE NEWS

A look at tech leaders, government and companies in the news, how they communicate, and my verdict on whether they nailed it or missed the mark.