What if the secret to Black Friday success isn't just about discounts, but about building relationships that last? In this second episode of our Black Friday strategy miniseries, Matt Edmundson reveals the Knowledge Trust Matrix—a simple framework that transforms one-time buyers into lifetime customers.

Episode Summary

Matt challenges the conventional approach to Black Friday customer acquisition, where brands focus on extracting maximum profit from new customers rather than building foundations for long-term relationships. Through the Knowledge Trust Matrix, he demonstrates how shifting this mindset can dramatically increase customer lifetime value. The framework centres on moving customers from low knowledge and trust to high knowledge and trust through strategic onboarding, educational content, and authentic storytelling.

Key Point Timestamps:

03:00 - The Fundamental Mindset Shift

04:30 - Introducing the Knowledge Trust Matrix

06:00 - The Four Customer Types Explained

08:00 - Building Trust with UGC and Live Chat

10:00 - The On-Ramp Strategy for Hesitant Buyers

12:30 - The Story Intersection Principle

14:00 - Post-Purchase Onboarding Excellence

The Knowledge Trust Matrix Framework (04:30)

Matt's framework centres on two essential elements for building customer relationships: knowledge and trust. He visualises this as a matrix where the goal is moving all customers to the top-right quadrant.

"When someone buys from us for the first time, usually their trust is low because they've never really bought from us before," Matt explains. Meanwhile, their knowledge varies dramatically depending on how much research they've done.

The framework identifies four customer types: low knowledge/low trust (need most work but huge potential), high knowledge/low trust (need trust-building), low knowledge/high trust (often referrals), and high knowledge/high trust (ideal repeat customers). "This is where your best customers live," Matt emphasises about the final quadrant.

Building Trust During Black Friday (08:00)

Trust acceleration becomes crucial during high-volume periods like Black Friday. Matt recommends two primary strategies that work particularly well during peak shopping times.

"Make sure there is UGC on your social media and on your website from previous customers telling them how amazing you guys are," he advises. This involves strategically placing customer stories, photos, and testimonials where new visitors encounter them during decision-making.

For Black Friday specifically, live chat becomes essential: "If you don't have live chat on your website, I think you should probably do that over Black Friday weekend. That's a great way to induce trust." Real-time human connection dramatically reduces purchase anxiety.

The On-Ramp Strategy (10:00)

Not every visitor arrives ready to purchase immediately. Matt's "on-ramp" concept provides pathways for hesitant customers to gradually build confidence.

"Not every single one of our customers is ready to buy. They don't come to the website and instantly appear here. Some of them are here. So how do we get them to take this journey?" he asks.

Effective on-ramps include email capture with valuable content, PDF downloads that solve customer problems, and sample programmes offering risk-free product trials. Matt shares a brilliant example of a houseplant website offering "10 Steps on How to Not Kill Your Houseplant"—perfectly addressing customer anxiety whilst capturing contact details.

The Story Intersection Principle (12:30)

Perhaps the most powerful insight involves how brands tell their stories. Matt illustrates this with a simple but profound concept: businesses care deeply about their own story, but customers initially care very little about it. However, customers care intensely about their own stories.

"When you tell your story well, you understand where it intersects with a customer story. And you are speaking right here," Matt explains. The magic happens when brand values, mission, and story align with customer values, challenges, and aspirations.

When brands speak to this intersection, customers think: "These people understand me. They share my values. I want to do business with them." This creates authentic connection that transcends price competition.

Today's Guest

Today's guest: Matt Edmundson

Company: Aurion

Website: aurioncompany.com

LinkedIn: Connect with Matt on LinkedIn