Trust Is the Real Closing Strategy: Why Rapport, Adaptability & Involvement Will Make or Break Sales in the AI Era

“You don’t have a sales problem. You have a trust problem.”

That was the biggest wake-up call from Episode 141 of Mastering Modern Selling — our #1-ranked podcast in the world of social and modern sales.

We had the honor of sitting down with Jake Mannino, Global Sales Director and Executive Coach at Microsoft, alongside my co-host Tom Burton, to pull back the curtain on one of the most overused — and yet least understood — words in sales today: TRUST.

We didn’t just talk theory. We gave frameworks, told battle-tested stories, and unpacked why trust is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s the cornerstone of competitive advantage in today’s AI-elevated, emotionally-depleted sales environment.

The Trust Triangle: The Real Sales Framework You’re Not Using

Jake Mannino opened the episode with what he called the Trust Triangle — a simple yet transformational leadership framework from Harvard’s Frances Frei.

There are three components to earning trust:

Authenticity – “People want the real you, not a performance. But even more than that, they want consistency.”Logic – “You’ve got to make sense. Be competent. Be clear. Be coherent.”Empathy – “If they don’t believe you care, it won’t matter what you know.”

Want to close more deals? Start here. Not with your pitch deck. Not with AI-generated messaging. With YOU. Because your prospect is silently asking: Can I trust this person to understand my world, speak truth, and stick with me?

If any leg of this triangle wobbles — you lose the deal.

“Sellers don’t get ghosted because they lack product knowledge. They get ghosted because they lack trust.”

I see it every day. Sellers who know the product cold. Who’ve read the whitepapers. Who can demo with their eyes closed.

But they can’t close.

Why?

Because they never earned the right to influence.

Trust isn’t a one-liner in your pitch. It’s built through:

Showing up prepared.Asking the questions nobody else is bold enough to ask.Making deposits into the relationship before expecting a return.

If the customer doesn’t trust you, they won’t follow you — no matter how good your solution is.

3 Ways to Drive a 19% Increase in Team Performance

Jake dropped something I’ll never forget. After years of studying high-performing teams — in tech, in history, in the field — his team found three specific leadership behaviors that increase team performance by 19%.

Let that sink in.

Here they are:

Rapport – Do you know your people beyond the role? Do you know what makes them tick? People don’t follow titles. They follow trust.Adaptability – Can you shift your leadership style to fit the moment — and the person?Involvement – When’s the last time your people actually wanted to bring you into a deal? Be so valuable they seek you out.

These don’t just boost morale — they unlock performance, loyalty, and creativity.

“The best leaders I’ve worked with? They knew me. They believed in me. And they walked the floor with me.”

The Pattern and System Framework That Will Change the Way You Sell

Jake also introduced a game-changing framework: Patterns vs. Systems.

Patterns are repeatable, predictable customer behaviors. ➤ Budgeting cycles, fiscal years, decision-making rhythms.Systems are the operating frameworks that drive the org. ➤ Culture, rituals, internal language, priorities.

Great sellers study both. They don’t just quote the 10-K or show up with surface-level “AI-powered” insights.

They immerse themselves in how the customer thinks, behaves, and decides.

Magic, Shackleton, and the Green Path

This episode had range. From Arctic expeditions to magic shows to used car buying — every story drove home this point:

“You’re either leading with fear, or with belief.”

Too many sellers — and leaders — are stuck in what Jake calls the Red Path: doubt, fear, ego, scarcity.

But elite sellers live on the Green Path: belief, resilience, preparation, service.

“Even if you don’t believe in magic anymore, you can still create it for someone else.”

I got chills hearing that.

What AI Can’t Replace

Yes, we talked AI.

But we didn’t worship it.

We exposed the truth: AI is a tool, not a substitute for trust.

The future belongs to those who blend human connection with machine precision. Use AI to:

Uncover patterns.Summarize systems.Personalize outreach.Identify customer pain points faster.

But don’t let AI become a crutch.

As Jake said:

“I can use AI to write a brilliant answer. But will I remember it tomorrow? Can I teach it to someone else? That’s the gap.”

The next-gen seller is a connector, a translator, a student of humanity. Not a bot.

You’re Not in Sales — You’re in the Trust Business

I don’t show up like a salesperson anymore.

I show up like a strategist. A partner. A trusted resource. A storyteller.

And yes — I close deals. But it’s because I built something first:

Credibility. Confidence. Connection.

You want to win in this new era?

Stop trying to be impressive. Be real. Be prepared. Be present.

“You don’t earn trust with tactics. You earn it with time, consistency, and care.”

Practical Takeaways You Can Use Today:

Audit your trust triangle: authenticity, logic, empathy.

Build real rapport — with your team, your customers, yourself.

Learn your customer’s buying patterns and cultural systems.

Practice involvement and adaptability with your team.

Use AI to research smarter — not sell harder.

Watch for red path language: “I can’t,” “It won’t,” “It’s impossible.”

Show up differently than every other seller in their inbox.

Coach yourself to believe before you expect anyone else to.

Tell stories that instill belief — even in the face of doubt.

What’s one way YOU build trust in your customer relationships?

Fist Bump Brandon Lee Tom Burton Jake Mannino Salesman on Fire Salesman on Fire LLC

#TrustBasedSelling #SalesLeadership #ModernSelling #EmotionalIntelligence #SocialSelling #AIInSales #LeadershipDevelopment #AuthenticSales #SalesStrategy