MODERN SALES
Trust – Your Essential
Sales Ingredient
By Frances Pratt
B
uilding trust is your first
priority and something that
you should always keep top of
mind when dealing with clients. If
they don’t trust you, your product
and your company, they simply
won’t buy from you.
are normally good at showing this
by having letters after our name, or
information on our qualifications
in our marketing materials. This is
an example of rational credibility; it
shows people they can trust you to
deliver.
are telling the complete truth. It is
important to uncover and deal with
unspoken or unconscious fears.
Here is way to think about and
address these fears:
1. Have clear explanations of the
most common
The good news
fears that people
TRUST EQUATION * = CREDIBILITY + RELIABILITY
is that trust has
+ INTIMACY SELF-ORIENTATION have in dealing
an equation so
with your industry,
* The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H Green, Robert M. Galford.
you can better
and how you are
understand how
different or have
to build it in your business. Here is There are two components to
overcome these.
my sales take on the trust equation, credibility; rational and emotional.
2. Ask your prospective client about
what each component is and how
The rational is relatively easy to
what has gone right and wrong
you can use these assets to build
deliver and maintain. It starts
in their past business dealings.
trust.
with your qualifications and builds
Address these in your interactions.
as you answer questions about
3. Think about fears you have
CREDIBILITY:
what you do and how you do it.
helped clients to overcome in the
Most people start businesses
Emotional credibility is much harder past and how you have addressed
because they are technical experts, to deliver and for clients to judge.
these.
which gives them credibility. We
It is based on their belief that you
Stories can help by talking about
the problems and fears other clients
have had and how you have helped
them. This helps to normalise this
fear for the client and show how
you have helped people before.
For both of these reasons, they are
more likely to feel comfortable to
share their problems with you.
Tips for building credibility:
1. Tell the truth.
2. Be yourself.
3. Be prepared. Show them that you
have done your research into what
26 ModernBusiness
February 2016