Understand why potential buyers hesitate, ask for more proof, and default to safer options - even when you are the better choice. Join our free live webinar to learn more: https://founder-trust-webinar.scoreapp.com

Many B2B leaders invest heavily in marketing and messaging while overlooking the foundation that buyers actually need to trust them. This episode breaks down competence as the first cornerstone of trust and explains how buyers cognitively assess risk before buying.

📘 Recommended Resources

Lead With Trust by Hannah Eisenberg: https://www.trustleader.co/lead-with-trust-book

Dentsu – Superpowers Index 2024: https://www.dentsu.com/us/en/solutions/dentsu-b2b/superpowers-index

Take the assessment: https://trustleader.scoreapp.com/

⏰ Episode Timestamps

00:00 Understanding Competence in Business

03:43 The Importance of Buyer Perception

07:41 Bridging the Gap: Internal Competence vs. Buyer Belief

13:44 Why Competence Comes First

15:39 Teaching as a Tool for Demonstrating Competence

20:18 The Impact of Believable Competence on Sales

24:14 Summary and Next Steps

🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

•Why competence is a buyer-held belief, not an internal reality

•How unclear competence increases perceived risk and price pressure

•Why brand, authenticity, and relationships cannot replace cognitive trust

•How teaching reduces buyer anxiety and demonstrates expertise

•What must come first to shorten sales cycles and scale trust

👤 About the Host

Hannah Eisenberg is the founder of TrustLeader and creator of the TrustLeader Framework. With 25+ years of B2B marketing and sales experience, including a decade at SAP Global Marketing and 10+ years as a HubSpot partner, she helps leaders worldwide achieve market leadership by making trust their most significant competitive advantage.

🔗 Connect With Me

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannaheisenberg/

🎧 Listen to the Podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@trustleader-lead-with-trust

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/lead-with-trust/id1732848496?l=da

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2LYVbwkrkTuJKh3mHGNLBH

Captivate.fm: https://feeds.captivate.fm/leadwithtrustpodcast/