Win Clients Before the First Meeting, with George Swetlitz

For this episode of Sell With Authority we’re zeroing in on something every agency needs — trust at scale.

Not vanity metrics. Not louder messaging in an already crowded feed.

Real credibility — earned in public — where your right-fit clients are watching, judging, and deciding whether you’re the expert worth hiring.

The noise isn’t going away. And if you’ve been putting in the work — creating content, showing up on the right channels, following all the authority-building advice — but your pipeline still feels sluggish or unpredictable, you might be stuck in what we call “yelling in a crowded arena.”

And that’s exactly why today’s conversation matters.

According to Edelman’s 2025 Trust Barometer, nearly 70% of buyers say they’ve made a purchasing decision based on what they saw in public forums — reviews, comments, even how companies respond.

Your agency’s reputation, and your clients’ reputations, are being shaped long before any discovery call gets booked. Your authority position isn’t just your content — it’s how you show up in conversations that are already happening online.

What if you could help your agency — and your right-fit clients — show up more consistently, more authentically, and with more trust, without burning out your team?

That’s why I’m excited to introduce today’s guest George Swetlitz, co-founder of RightResponse AI.

George isn’t just another SaaS founder chasing trends. He knows how to lead teams, implement systems, and grow by solving real problems — repeatably.

His mission now is giving agencies a way to scale review response, build trust across platforms, and mine authentic insight — all without sacrificing the human touch.

If you’re looking for a smarter way to earn authority…

If you want to build trust before that first meeting is even on the calendar…

And if you’re curious how AI can actually help you do more with less — this conversation with George is one you don’t want to miss.

What you will learn in this episode: 

• Why your authority position is decided before you ever get a meeting
• The moment when reviews and responses become the “make or break” for customer conversion
• A behind-the-scenes look at big AI vs. little AI
• How reviews, competitor analysis, and the “recency effect” can future-proof your authority in pitches and client retention
• Quantitative strategies to use reviews as data
• Why your website isn’t the center of your reputation universe
• How to step into a sales pitch armed with hard data about a prospective client’s competitive landscape

Resources:

• Website: https://www.rightresponseai.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-swetlitz-7b43812/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightresponse-inc/