People don’t buy products. They buy Proof.

Let’s cut through the noise:

People don’t buy products. They buy proof.

Not branding. Not catchy taglines.
But evidence that what you offer actually works.

In today’s market, that’s the difference between “just another product” and a business with momentum.

This is the Authority stage in my Relion University’s The Rod Map.
And for small businesses, it’s everything.

Authority isn’t about flexing.
It’s about trust.
And trust is earned through visible results through social proof.

What does that look like?

✅ Screenshots of actual results
✅ Behind-the-scenes of your process
✅ Client reactions and transformation
✅ UGC (User-Generated Content)
✅ Candid testimonials from real customers

When people see others trusting you, they’re more likely to trust you too.
It’s human nature.
We follow those already walking the path.

Now let me show you what this looked like in the real world.

I used this exact Authority strategy to help grow a product in the pool industry called MicroGlass.

We didn’t launch with ads.
We didn’t throw money at influencers.

We started with testimonials—
Real contractors. Real homeowners. Real results.

I went into the field, got my hands dirty, and documented everything.
We showed MicroGlass in action:
→ Before-and-after surface results
→ Installers applying it on site
→ Customer feedback in real time

And we didn’t stop there.

We started stacking proof and sharing their voices.
That’s when the magic happened.

Contractors began posting their own content.
Homeowners started tagging us in their results.
Suddenly, people didn’t just trust the product,
They wanted to be part of it.

We built a community.
And that story gave MicroGlass a life of its own.

That’s the power of Authority in action:
Proof creates momentum.
And momentum attracts community.

If you're trying to launch your own product, start with what you can prove.
You don't need thousands of followers.
You need 5 voices genuinely saying,

Show your receipts.
Let your customers speak.
Build from there.

In next week’s Rod Letter, I’ll break down how to find your ideal avatar.
Because even with proof, if you're talking to the wrong person, you’ll never gain traction.

I’ll walk you through how to define your perfect customer, their mindset, and the traits that actually matter when you're ready to scale.

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If this helped you…

✅ Download my FREE Rod Map — made for small business owners and personal brands building from scratch
✅ Subscribe if someone forwarded this to you
✅ Share this with someone launching something real

Until next time

Stay sharp,
— Rod