Earning the Right to Sell: It’s About Trust, Not Timing

Creating value is a mantra that many people stand by when it comes to building an engaged audience. 

However, the moment for your audience to take action—whether that’s paying, committing, or showing up—it’s not always easy to convert that value into real-world commitment.

While creating value is important, knowing how to convert that value into commitment is just as essential. 

If all you do is deliver value without an eventual “ask,” it can lead to missed opportunities. Many of us excel at creating content, but we may not be as confident at capturing attention that leads to action.

Chris Do, in a recent video, highlighted the importance of widening the gap between what you give and what you ask for. He explained, ‘When you give and you ask and no gap between the two it’s a transaction’ (watch from around 20 minutes).

You need to stretch the timeline between delivering value and making the ask. Chris’ message looked at the ‘Distance from the value to the ask’. Chris’s words were to play the game for as long as possible, without immediately expecting something in return.

This approach builds trust and strengthens your audience’s relationship with you, making them more likely to say “yes” when the time comes.

There comes a point, however, when you do need to ask for a deeper level of commitment.

For me, it took a mindset shift.

For many years, YATM was a side project. It was my space to play and experiment. As I gained clarity on the value YATM provided—a space for community and growth—my confidence grew, and so did my ability to ask.

Confidence is key when making the ask. If you don’t believe in what you’re selling, it will come through, and everything feels harder. On the other hand, when you believe in the value you provide, asking feels natural and becomes easier for your audience to buy into.

If all you do is create, with no outcome, it can become a time-inducing hobby.

This is the approach that now helps me when it comes to the ‘ask.’

content shift (your work supports people where they feel a part of something)

+

mindset shift (self belief, self worth, value driven)

= You obtain the right people 

GOAL = accruing self belief, attention and revenue

Turning Commitment Into Growth

I used to dip my feet into the water with live events. They existed, I’d mention them on social media, I would refer to the newsletter to attend, but I wasn’t confident in their role. Once I gained clarity on the impact of these events, I became more intentional in my approach. As a result, attendances increased.

To illustrate: The first YATM Creator Day in 2022 attracted 85 attendees. After announcing the speakers for Creator Day 2025, we’re already over 100 attendees, seven months before the event.

What changed?

Do this consistently, and you’ll create reciprocity

Here’s how to frame your work so your audience feels comfortable committing and buying from you:

Seven ways to make it easier for people to say ‘yes’ and buy.

All the content you share should be in line with the role you play for your audience. Your vision should be clearly defined and based on what your audience needs.

When you have a deep understanding of your audience’s current situation and how your work solves a problem, their commitment becomes the next natural step. This represents your purpose and being there for others.

Finding your start binds everything together. The benefit of working with you becomes magnified. Your origin story adds depth to the value you offer.

It’s not just about the product but about the journey that led you there. Sharing your story—why you started and what challenges you overcame—creates an emotional connection. People buy into you as much as they buy into your product. 

When your audience connects with your origin, everything else follows.

Start with small, simple actions, such as signing up for a newsletter, to build trust.

The goal is not to immediately push someone to a landing page to make a purchase, but to consistently present ideas and perspectives.

You want them to feel familiar with your content when they see it in their inbox. The more consistently you do this, the more likely it is that someone will make a purchase. Each interaction, such as a newsletter, reinforces trust and increases the chance of buying in the future.

Relationships should be at the centre of everything you do. Many businesses treat their marketing channels as transactional engines. Instead, focus on using these channels to build real relationships. This approach shifts the dynamic from mere transactions to meaningful engagements.

People buy from you because they know you, not because you step up as a stranger. 

When you recognise the role you serve, you discover different paths to take. It also becomes more comfortable promoting yourself when you have a structure in place.

It’s not about why you’re great, but promoting the value of what you do that helps the right group of people. It’s promoting useful thinking, different approaches and proof that works. When your audience trusts your expertise, committing becomes a natural step.

Let others advocate for you. This is centred around positivity and good feeling that isn’t from you, but someone else. It could be a review, it could be to say ‘I’m attending,’ it is anything where you know the work is not all on you, but people feel willing and happy to stand alongside you to promote. 

For instance, there is activity this week around YATM Creator Day. Bursts of activity around the speaker announcement and then we’ll pick up later in the year. It means a lot when someone else is prepared to share and being an advocate for your work. People trust the experiences of others more than marketing messages, so let your community help spread the word.

Long-form content such as blogs or podcasts allows you to delve deep into your ideas and build authority.

Posting on social is fine, but in the long run, it is your bank of work that allows people to recognise your thinking and how you establish authority. Social is a space where you link people to the long-form thinking.

You create work that is relevant to others and when they can see you put in the time and effort, this helps to put someone else’s mind at ease that you come from a place of conviction. 

At the core of any successful creator’s journey is the belief that you’ve earned the right to ask for commitment. 

It is never about bombarding your audience with endless content, but rather about building genuine relationships that are rooted in trust, value, and mutual respect.

Every piece of content, every interaction should move the relationship forward, inching closer to a deeper connection. It’s about timing—knowing when to give freely and when to confidently make the ask.

When you believe in your own value, asking for that commitment becomes a natural part of the relationship. You’re no longer just creating for the sake of creating; you’re building a bridge where your audience feels comfortable walking across and saying “yes” when it matters most.