Jelly Beans & Trust: 7 Subtle Ways to Win Customers for Life
This one opens with both hosts literally chewing on the topic: jelly beans. Vonda only eats them once a year — the Jelly Bellys from the comfort stations at a golf course in Cabo — while Lori's current favorites are Trader Joe's, kept in a fancy lidded jar she has to hide in her office because her "no sweet tooth" husband keeps raiding it. But the candy is just the warm-up. Fresh off presenting on customer service at the Great Lakes Floral Expo, Lori brought Vonda a list she'd found in her research: subtle habits that let a customer start trusting you — because whether someone walks into your shop or calls to order, you get about seven seconds to make that first impression. Nobody buys, and nobody joins anything, until trust is built first.
Be present, not performative
A genuine "hey, how are you today?" beats a rehearsed "hello-welcome-to-the-shop-would-you-like-to-hear-our-specials" script every time. That doesn't contradict practicing your sales language — Vonda's take is that practice and presence go hand in hand: you rehearse until it becomes second nature, and then it is natural. Presence also means eye contact — looking at the customer, not yelling a greeting toward the back room. Lori lived this one at her Michigan presentation: she had a whole dramatic opening prepared and practiced, and in the moment it simply didn't fit the room. She read the room, adapted, and connected anyway. It's okay to stretch the plan.
Lead with warmth, not just confidence
Lori has been on the receiving end of this as a customer: she doesn't know flower names (she shouldn't have to — she's the customer), and a supremely confident voice on the phone without warmth can land as condescending. Vonda draws the line at cockiness — confidence and warmth work together; overconfidence breaks trust. The research Lori found backs it up: people don't connect to competence, they connect to comfort. A Harvard study on first impressions found people look for two traits — warmth and competence — and warmth comes first. Confidence earns respect; warmth earns trust.
Dress like you respect the moment
Clothes don't define you, but they communicate something before you ever speak. Vonda was once told that when you step in front of an audience, half the connection is what you're wearing. The hosts wrestled honestly with "dress to match your message" — should Vonda dress like a designer when teaching profit and design? Lori's reframe: you're dressing to represent your company and how seriously you take the opportunity. For new employees, the advice is simple — follow the dress code, and if there isn't much of one, read the room and match it.
Listen like you're learning something new
This is Lori's superpower and she knows it — she's the one Vonda has to physically drag away from a stranger's story about their aunt's farm and the baby goat while the booth needs tearing down. When you genuinely listen with curiosity, without rushing to respond, people feel valued and seen. Vonda admits this one is her shortfall, usually because she's already five minutes late for the next thing. The honest conclusion: listening is a superpower, and every one of us can do it better.
Match energy, be curious, and leave a trace of gratitude
Match the energy, not the personality. Vonda remembers Sharon McGukin teaching this from stage: your mom told you never to copy anybody — this is the exception. Fast talker? Pick it up. Calm and composed? Tone it down. People feel comfortable with people who understand their rhythm. Lori felt it at the Expo reconnecting with floral coach Amy Balster — two high-energy people who instantly synced, then leaned in low together, and both walked away feeling great.
Be authentically curious. Different from listening — this is asking the questions. "What made you decide to buy a goat?" "How did you get into this business?" "What's your biggest pain point right now?" Lori says the best part of working a trade show booth is exactly this: asking a florist about their business and truly wanting the answer.
Don't try to be memorable — be meaningful. Most of us try too hard to impress when the goal should be to connect. As one of the hosts' own presentation slides put it, customers won't remember the actual design — they'll remember how you made them feel. And finally, leave a trace of gratitude: most interactions end abruptly, so closing with grace makes you stand out. Think Chick-fil-A's "have a blessed day" — scripted or not, it lands every single time.
Key takeaways
- You have roughly seven seconds to make a first impression — and trust is what customers are deciding on.
- Warmth before confidence: people connect to comfort, not competence, and confidence without warmth reads as condescending.
- Listen with genuine curiosity and without rushing to respond; it's the fastest way to make someone feel valued.
- Match the customer's energy and pace — it's the one time copying someone is the right move.
- Aim for meaningful over memorable, and close every interaction with gratitude. Bring the list to your next staff meeting.