For the last 4+ years, our Sell with Authority podcast has focused on one core idea: how to help agencies own and monetize their position of authority.

When agencies choose a niche, commit to a point of view, and teach what they know in service of the right audience, something powerful happens. They become recognized.

Their thinking travels.

And prospects begin to show up more prepared, more confident, and more aligned.

But over time, another pattern emerged for our team, and we took it into the Predictive Lab to test it out.

Agencies that have built an authority position may no longer struggle to be seen.

They struggle with creating and activating demand.

Prospects know them. Prospects respect them. Prospects may even believe they're the right agency to choose.

And still… they wait.

In this final episode of Sell with Authority, Stephen reflects on what the podcast set out to do, why it worked, and the natural next question that follows once authority is established:

What do you do with attention once you've earned it?

This episode introduces an important distinction:

Authority earns attention. But demand…turns attention into action.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why authority alone no longer creates movement
• The difference between passive trust and activated demand
• How intrigue, curiosity, and desire influence decisions
• Why inbound and outbound aren't opposites — but incomplete without each other
• What it really means for an agency to be in demand

This episode also marks the close of the Sell with Authority chapter — and opens the door to the next conversation with the launch of The In-Demand Agency Podcast.

Today's episode of Sell With Authority is another part of our special series on trust and distrust in the agency sales process. Throughout this series, we've explored how agencies build and sustain trust — in their sales process, through their content, and inside their culture.

When trust is present — your sales pipeline flows. But when trust is absent? There's friction — momentum stalls.

In today's conversation we're going a layer deeper. Beyond the mechanics of trust — into its root system.

Belief.

Before a right-fit prospect says yes — they have to believe something about you. They need to see a reflection of their own values in what you stand for — and how you show up everyday.

Our guest expert today has spent more than three decades helping brands uncover that connection. Mark Bubula is the Co-founder, President, and Chief Strategy Officer at Friends & Neighbors — a nationally recognized branding agency known for helping brands uncover and activate their most powerful human beliefs.

Mark's perspective is so valuable for this series because trust isn't built through clever messaging or consistent communication alone.

Trust is earned when your audience believes what you believe — and can feel those convictions in the way you show up, lead, and serve.

Mark reveals the why behind what makes brands truly connect — and how belief becomes the foundation that fills your pipeline with right-fit prospects.

• Why belief — not just communication — forms the root system of real trust
• How to ensure your internal brand culture is in sync with the brand promise sold to prospects
• What "brand anthropology" really means — and how hiring PhD anthropologists changed Mark's approach forever
• Why focusing too little on your agency's soul stalls your growth
• How your agency can create a "message multiplier" — going beyond the same old values to something truly human
• The truth about building trust automatically

• Website: http://friends-neighbors.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-bubula-4081052/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friends-&-neighbors/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendsneighbors
• F&N Med: https://friends-neighbors.com/fn-med/

Today's episode of Sell With Authority is another special in our series on trust and distrust in the agency sales process. You've been hearing from agency leaders who are leaning into this issue with real candor, real context, and real stakes.

When trust is present — your pipeline flows.

But when trust is absent? There's hesitation. Uncertainty. Second-guessing. Deals that should move forward stall instead.

Our special guest expert today is Ari Galper, Founder of Unlock The Sales Game and one of today's leading authorities on trust-based selling.

For more than two decades, Ari has helped business leaders replace outdated sales tactics with authentic, trust-first conversations. His perspective is a powerful addition to what we're building in this series.

Ari helps us see what it looks like to communicate and lead in ways that help people feel safe saying yes.

He believes trust doesn't take time — it takes truth.

And he teaches that trust isn't built through persuasion — it's built through presence.

When we listen deeply, speak honestly, and align with what's true for the other person, we create connection instead of resistance.

That's the kind of trust that doesn't just win a deal. It turns conversations into partnerships.

• Why "trust" isn't something you build with time but with truth and presence
• Mindset shifts to break out of the commodity trap agencies face every day
• The real danger of the "trust recession" — and why it's changing the rules of the agency sales process
• Trust-based questions to get to the truth
• How agencies can stop the cycle of free consulting and start commanding premium conversations from the get-go
• Why you should act more like a doctor than a vendor
• How to differentiate your agency simply through your sales approach — not just your services

• Website: https://www.arigalper.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arigalper/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariai/