Would You Board that Plane?

Imagine you're standing at the gate, ticket in hand, and you overhear the pilot say, "I'm pretty good at flying... most of the time."

Then you hear someone add, “The pilot and I were classmates; he cheated his way through high school. He sure was the life of the party, though.” 🫠

Would you still get on that flight?

Probably not.

When the stakes are high—your safety, your family, your livelihood—you don’t want "pretty good." You want darn good.

That’s exactly how clients feel when they consider hiring you: they need to believe you can deliver.

This belief is particularly important in service-based businesses.

In product-based businesses, we derive value from the machine, product, or technology itself. Customers judge the build quality, the materials, and the design, not necessarily the personal talent of the engineers or builders behind it. In other words, judgment of talent is indirect.

In small service businesses, the opposite is true. The bulk of the value comes directly from the skills, expertise, and judgment of the consultant/service provider. In other words, judgment of the talent is direct.

Which is why, if you want to convince a lead to buy your service, your number one goal must be to assure them you are qualified for the task.

And the way you do that is by building authority around your service.

The Authority of a Consultant

Authority isn’t about being loud, flashy, or arrogant.

It’s about clearly communicating your technical competence in a way that makes people feel safe putting their problem in your hands.

Without authority, even the best talent can go unnoticed.

Now, you don’t need to be the world’s top expert to exude authority. You only need to be a few steps ahead of the market you serve, and make that clear.

How the Buying Process Has Changed

Authority is even more important today because buying behaviors have fundamentally changed.

In large companies, branding builds trust over time. Enterprises pour millions of dollars into branding to create recognition, trust, and emotional connection long before a sales conversation takes place.

But as a solo founder or a small shop, you don't have such resources.

You are the brand.

That’s why I always say:
Authority is to a founder what branding is to enterprise.

It’s how you silently build trust, credibility, and preference.

And that silent influence matters more than ever:

• Research shows 69% of the B2B buying process happens before a buyer ever contacts a vendor.
• By the time they do reach out, 80% already have a preferred choice.

Which means, by the time you get the chance to pitch, the buyer has likely already decided whether you're in the running or not.

If you haven't established authority by then, kiss the deal goodbye.

Next, we’ll talk about how you can start building your authority through content marketing.