Trust is earned in small moments
New commission only agents are taking a risk by selling your product. They are investing their time, their reputation with their contacts, and their energy without any guaranteed return. The faster you build trust, the more confidently they will represent your brand and the harder they will work.
Trust is not built through grand gestures. It is built through consistent small actions that show you are reliable, fair, and invested in their success.
Pay on time, every time
Nothing builds trust faster than reliable payments. And nothing destroys it faster than late, incorrect, or disputed commissions. Set clear payment terms and honour them without exception.
If a payment will be delayed for any reason, communicate immediately. A delay you explain in advance is a minor inconvenience. A delay agents discover when checking their bank account is a betrayal of trust.
Be transparent about everything
Share information freely. When agents ask about product development, company strategy, or market performance, give honest answers. When there are problems, admit them.
Agents who feel they are getting the full picture trust you more than those who suspect you are hiding information. Transparency also means being upfront about challenges. If a product has a known limitation, tell agents before they discover it from a prospect.
Follow through on commitments
If you promise new sales materials by Friday, deliver them by Friday. If you say you will look into an issue, look into it and report back. Every broken commitment, no matter how small, chips away at trust.
Keep a running list of commitments you make to agents and track completion. This discipline ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
Respond quickly
When agents have questions or need support, respond within hours, not days. Fast response times signal that you value their time and their business. Slow responses signal that they are not a priority.
Provide value beyond commissions
Share industry insights, market data, and selling tips that help agents grow professionally. Introduce them to contacts who might be useful. Recommend resources that develop their skills.
When agents see you investing in their development, not just extracting their sales effort, trust deepens significantly.
Handle problems fairly
When issues arise, and they will, how you respond defines the relationship. Investigate fairly. Listen to the agent's perspective. Make decisions based on facts, not assumptions. When you make a mistake, own it and correct it.
Agents who see you handle problems fairly become your most loyal advocates. They tell other agents that you are worth working with, and word of mouth in sales networks carries enormous weight.
Build the relationship personally
Take time to know your agents as people. Remember details about their lives. Acknowledge milestones. Check in when you know they are going through a tough period.
On Zepys, the platform handles the transactional elements of the relationship (tracking, payments, reporting), freeing you to focus on the human elements that actually build trust.