The new book by Markus Elsen
Why do some customers come back on their own?
Trust Gravity™ shows how companies build the kind of pull that keeps customers returning by choice.
Coming in 2027 as a paperback on Amazon.
The Book
Customers who come back by choice
“Never before have companies had so much to say. And never before have so few people been listening.”
Reach can be bought. So can attention. But both get more expensive every year and deliver less and less in return. Customers compare, switch, and forget. And many companies respond by simply spending more.
Markus Elsen shows why this model is reaching its limits and what the most successful companies do differently: They don’t chase their customers. They pull them in. They build systems people return to by choice. Without comparing. Without hesitating.
A book for anyone responsible for growth who wants customers who stay.
The Formula
Trust Gravity™ describes a company’s pull as an economic mechanism, one you can measure, shape, and scale. Consistency sits in the exponent: it decides how much of the four dimensions’ strength actually reaches the customer.
Five Dimensions
How pull can be measured
Does the product itself deserve trust? Customers who stay only because canceling is a hassle are trapped, not attracted.
Every contact counts, from the first quote to the invoice. A single weak spot weighs more than a single outstanding one.
Do customers recommend the offering of their own accord? Paid reach doesn’t count.
Leadership shows in decisions. Stage appearances and social media posts don’t count.
It decides how much of the four dimensions’ strength reaches the customer. It grows only over years and can’t be rushed.
The Trust Gravity™ Check
Where does your company stand?
The check provides the five scores for the Gravity Index from the book. It calculates right in your browser and stores no data. It is most revealing when several people from different departments fill it out separately.
How to score
No full score without evidence: a number, a customer’s own words, or a concrete example.
Resources
Download and put it to work
Everything beyond the book that helps you use the check with your own team.
Checklist
All 25 questions as a printable PDF
Frequently asked questions
What readers want to know about Trust Gravity™
Workshop materials
Templates for running a workshop with your own team
FAQ
What readers want to know
Short answers here, the full picture in the book.
What does Trust Gravity™ mean?
A company’s pull: customers come back by choice, without comparing. The book describes it as an economic mechanism you can measure, shape, and scale.
Does this apply to B2B and midsize companies?
Yes. Alongside well-known consumer brands, the book draws on many business-to-business examples. It also shows that smaller companies can build a strong pull of their own: the Gravity Index counts neither revenue nor market share.
Who is the book for?
Anyone responsible for growth, whether in leadership, marketing, sales, or communications.
Isn’t this just customer retention?
No. Customers who stay because switching is a hassle are trapped, not attracted. Trust Gravity™ is about customers who want to stay.
Why does the index multiply instead of add?
Because a strong dimension can’t make up for a weak one. A zero anywhere puts the index at zero.
How accurate is the check?
It is a self-assessment. It becomes meaningful through honest answers, evidence for every full score, and input from several people across departments.
How often should we repeat it?
Once a quarter, with the same people.
Are my answers stored?
No. The check calculates only in your browser.
Does it take a big budget?
No. Consistency grows over years and can’t be bought.
When and where will the book be available?
In 2027, as a paperback on Amazon, in English and German.
About
Markus Elsen
For more than 25 years, I have been exploring why people trust a brand and why they don’t. I have looked at that question from several angles: as a journalist and editor-in-chief, as a leader of content and communications agencies, most recently within one of the large international agency networks, and in marketing at a global technology company.
For major brands in industry, energy, and technology, I have developed content marketing, thought leadership, and employer branding. One observation has stayed with me throughout: customers rarely stay because of the loudest message. They stay because the promise holds.
Today, I work with large enterprises on the strategic management of their communications. I live in Munich with my family.
Contact
Get in touch
Questions about the book, speaking or workshop requests, or simply feedback: I look forward to your message and reply personally.
Prefer email? markus.elsen@trustgravity.de