Some marketers often tell you, “Build trust first, then people will buy.” It’s one of those must-do rules you hear in almost every marketing book and coaching session. And while there’s a lot of truth to it, let us offer some advice based on what we’ve seen, observed, and experienced ourselves.
Not every purchase starts with trust.
You’ve probably seen it too—people buying off random Instagram posts, TikTok ads, or Shopee listings. These purchases aren’t carefully nurtured leads who’ve followed a four-month email funnel. They don’t know the seller. There’s no relationship. There’s no backstory or shared values. Yet, the transaction happens. Why?
Simply because in that fleeting moment, they chose to believe.
They believed the product could solve their problem. They believed it might just be worth the risk. Now this type of decision-making is more common than we like to admit, especially in today’s internet and AI era, where attention is super short and options are endless.
Now, we’re not here to debunk the value of trust-building. For long-term brand equity, retention, and premium positioning, trust is critical. But again, it is not the only path to conversion. Sometimes, belief beats trust. And belief can be sparked in seconds. With the right message, the right timing, and the right solution to the right pain point, the purchase will probably happen. It doesn’t require a ten-step funnel whatsoever. It just needs to hit home. Immediately.
That’s why clarity, conviction, and timing often win over elaborate trust-building tactics. When the need is urgent, when the product feels right, and when the offer is compelling, people buy, even if they barely know the brand.
So if you’re spending weeks building the perfect lead magnet, obsessing over email sequences, and feeling frustrated that conversions are still slow, pause for a moment. Maybe the problem isn’t trust. Maybe what’s missing is a message that precisely speaks to a pressing customer’s need.
Now you know that not all marketing needs to take the long road.
