(a.k.a. The Otis Elevator Principle) “Sam, how do I sell people when I don’t have testimonials yet?” I get this question all the time. And I get it… you’re early. No track record. No fancy case studies. Just you, your offer, and the crickets in your inbox. So how do you convince someone to trust you? To pay you? To believe in you… When you’re “pre-proof”? Let me tell you a story. 1854. The World’s Fair in New York City. A crowd gathers around a stage where a man named Elisha Otis stands inside a rickety elevator… high above the floor. He nods to his assistant. The assistant raises an axe… and cuts the rope. The crowd gasps. The elevator drops… …then stops. Otis tips his hat. “All safe, gentlemen.” He didn’t sell with promises. He sold with demonstration. And that’s the key. That works better than case studies! If you don’t have proof yet… …You borrow it …Build it …Or demonstrate it. Here’s how 👇 1️⃣ Stories — The Human Operating System Humans trust stories more than stats. More than testimonials. If you don’t have client proof, tell stories that transfer belief: Why you started. Your origin story reveals your values. Industry examples. Borrow proof from the market. Analogies + metaphors. (This Otis story? It’s proof for you right now.) My agency’s case study was used by DOZENS of my own competition to get clients… In my own niche! People don’t buy facts… …they buy conviction. 2️⃣ Research — Borrowed Authority If you can’t say “I did it,” you can say, “Here’s what the data says.” Use: • Meta and Google case studies • Industry benchmarks • Consumer research Example: “According to Meta, local businesses using video ads see 40% more leads at half the cost.” You’re not faking results. You’re proving you understand what creates them. I once created a report of what clients in my niche were charging for specific services… How they were getting people financed… And details that had nothing to do with marketing! But they got me a ton of clients.