From Stranger to Trusted Advisor: The Power of a Book in Building Business Trust

How do you move from being a stranger to a trusted advisor? That's a transition you really need to make if you're going to position yourself properly, build trust before you meet, and generate more clients. Moving from stranger to trusted advisor is essential.

Many of your prospects are waiting for someone they can trust to help them with their situation, challenge, or problem. But how do you build that trust?

Take our clients, Mullins and Pintas, attorneys in Chicago. They wrote a book called Nursing Home Nightmares because they understand the struggles families face when a loved one is in a nursing home. This is one of their areas of legal expertise, and they created this book to give to prospects.

They use their book in various ways—on billboards, on TV, and at events—because they want potential clients to spend time with them through reading. They know that when people spend time with you, trust begins to build. This applies in business just as it does in personal relationships. The more time someone spends getting to know you, the more they like and trust you.

When you have an Amazon best-selling book and you give it to someone, they spend an hour or two learning about who you are, how you operate, and how you've helped others in similar situations. Trust increases. You move from being a stranger to a trusted advisor. And once that happens, they are much more likely to schedule an appointment with you.

Compare this to the typical approach of driving people to your website or pay-per-click ads and asking them to schedule a call. Many will hesitate because, to them, you’re still a stranger. Some will book an appointment, but many won’t. And you don’t want to lose those potential clients. Instead, by giving them a book, you ensure they have a tangible, lasting resource that keeps you top of mind. They may not need your services today, but in a few weeks or months, they will—and when that time comes, they’ll turn to you.

An Amazon best-selling book is a powerful tool to help make that transition. It’s not the only strategy we teach for building trust before you meet, but it’s a big one. A book serves as a constant reminder of your expertise, sitting on their bookshelf, nightstand, or office desk. Every time they see it, they’ll remember what you said. If they forget, they can always go back and reread it. That repeated exposure deepens trust, and when they—or someone they know—need your services, you’ll be the first person they think of. Because you’re no longer a stranger. You’re a trusted advisor.