Skip to main content

August 13, 2026

How to build trust quickly with potential clients

2 min read

There is no easy way to say it. The testimonials on your website are not doing the work you think they are.

We all collect them the same way. A client says something kind in an email, we paste it on a page, we call it proof.

Then a stranger lands on the site and believes none of it.

But a Video- that’s proof you do good work

Nobody hires a crew to film a client who was fine.

Nobody sits in front of a camera to say something they do not mean.

Nobody gives you 90 seconds of their face unless the work actually mattered to them.

That is why video lands better than text. It costs the client something to give it.

Here is what I have observed

And you have probably noticed the same. We put up a wall of logos and it looks impressive. But a prospect scrolls past it in half a second.

Take that same piece of real estate on your website and swap in a client on camera, and the sales calls change.

People stop asking if the work is any good. They start asking when we can start.

Why you’re probably skipping video

Let's just be real for a minute. Most business owners do not skip video testimonials because of budget. All it takes is a iPhone. You don’t need a big production budget. You don’t even need to be there.

So it’s not budget. Instead, most people skip it because asking feels awkward. and that's exactly why most people don't ask and why most websites don't have them. But video testimonials are better than written ones.

I don't think this means you throw out your written testimonials. Keep them. Just stop asking them to carry weight they were never built to carry.

Same with your logo cloud. A row of logos is a claim. A logo that opens into a case study is proof. One of those a prospect can check for himself. The other one he has to take your word for. That's the whole game in Arlington, where a buyer can't come see your shop before deciding.

Go ask your best client for 90 seconds this week.

Cover of the guide 10 Marketing Mistakes Contractors Make, by Casey Lewis of CL Creative

10 Marketing Mistakes Contractors Make

A free guide to the 10 ideas that sound reasonable but cost you jobs, and the 10 rules that keep your phone ringing and your calendar booked up.

Ready to win back the jobs going to your competitors?

Tell us about your business. We'll show you what the plan covers and what it would look like for you.

A finished backyard pergola and stone fire-pit patio glowing at dusk behind a home

Other posts in this category

Contractor handing a homeowner two business cards in front of a freshly finished house while a neighbor walks over to see the work

How Do You Get More Referrals From Past Customers?

Your next 10 jobs are already in your phone. When to ask for referrals, what to say, what to offer, and how to stay the name they remember.

Roofer kneeling on a shingle roof using a nail gun while his phone lights up with an incoming call beside him

What Should You Do When You Miss a Call From a Lead?

That missed call was a job you already paid to get. Here's the text to send in 60 seconds, when to call back, and how to win the lead back.

Plumber in navy workwear answering a customer call beside his open service van in a North Texas driveway.

Home Service Marketing Strategies Based on How Homeowners Hire

Most home service marketing guides hand you a menu of tactics. This one sorts them by how homeowners hire, whether they call now, keep coming back, or shop around, so you know what to fund first and what to skip.