Thirteen Keys To Build Trust And Make More Sales

When talented people fail to make a sale, it is not because they don't know how to sell, or because what they are selling is worthless. They fail because many prospects no longer trust anyone who tries to sell to them.

Faced with a daily barrage of heavy-handed marketing and prospecting techniques, most people feel even more cynical and skeptical than they did just a few years ago. While the pressure to increase sales in every industry is higher than ever, the barriers that customers have put up are now stronger.

This is nothing short of a career-threatening crisis for anyone who depends on making sales to make a living. The crisis comes down to one plain fact: If people do not trust you, they will not buy from you.

There is only one way to succeed in this environment. Remove the wall of skepticism by building quality relationships with potential buyers before you try to make the sale. Once you've won the prospect's trust, you will win the sale.

The best way to approach the problem of skeptical prospects is to remember that people buy people long before they buy products or services. To be seen as the right person to do business with, you must focus on the buyer's perspective. People give you access to themselves based on their perspectives, not yours. How then, do go about creating a positive perception and demonstrate trustworthiness?

The key is to have a positive, caring attitude. You must consistently convey this to your prospects, through your emotions, opinions and actions. It's not always easy. People and circumstances often get in the way. Just don't let yourself get in the way.

Here are thirteen keys to help you demonstrate you're the type of person who can be trusted with a prospect's business.

1. Keep things in perspective. Negative attitudes result when you focus only on individual circumstances versus the overall picture of what you are trying to accomplish.

2. Concentrate on thankfulness versus entitlement. Avoid coming across to others as if they owe it to you. Let them know you appreciate their time and their business.

3. Surround yourself with motivated people. Eliminate from your social circle people who are always dwelling on the negative.

4. Listen to one motivational or inspirational message every day. Positive reinforcement can help you project a positive feeling about yourself in the marketplace.

5. Read books by and for successful people. What you put in your mind eventually comes out of your mouth. Reading books that inspire you will help you to inspire others to think of you in a positive light.

6. Face challenges with a sense of opportunity. Look for the good in all ideas, situations, and circumstances.

7. Look past your prospect's faults to see their needs. Nobody's perfect. You may not like the way some of your customers do business, but if you focus on what they are trying to accomplish, you can work on helping them.

8. Treat everyone with respect. The customer's secretary or low-level employee you treat rudely today could move up to a position of power tomorrow, and you can be sure your behavior will not be forgotten when they have a chance to remove your name from the vendor list.

9. Under-promise and over-deliver. This conveys a sense of greater value to the customer, and they will want to do more business with you.

10. Be willing to walk away. Trustworthiness cannot be built on making sales to people when your product or service does not meet their needs. Instead of hurting your reputation, it's better to just walk away, but be sure to leave the door open for the next time.

11. Keep all your personal and professional conversations private. If people find out that you've talked about their personal lives or revealed confidential information about their business to other people, they will decide you can't be trusted, and they'll slam the door on you forever.

12. Avoid stretching even a little. A small lie creates skepticism because, from that point on, people will never feel sure that you are telling them the truth.

13. Keep your word. This simple rule is practiced so infrequently that those who stand behind what they say really stand out from their competitors.

By following these basic principles, you will project a positive attitude that builds a reputation for trustworthiness to everyone with whom you come in contact with.

Remember, that thousands of people are eagerly waiting to buy from you if you can convince them that you are trustworthy. Invest a little of your time to show that you're not just a good salesperson, but a good person who can sell them what they need. Once you do that, their doors will swing wide open for you.

Copyright?2007 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and success coaching programs. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in career coach training. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many businesses around the world, on the subjects of leadership, achievement, goals, strategic business planning, and marketing. Joe is the author of three books, Starting Your Own Business, Finding Your Purpose In Life, and The Guerrilla Marketing Workbook.