BUILDING TRUST IN TODAY’S SKEPTICAL WORLD
Make the effort to establish solid, trusting relationships.
Across all industries there has been a growing lack of trust. Gone are the “good old days” where you looked someone in the eye, shook a hand and you had a trust relationship. Today, I find that a customer’s starting point is one of uncertainty and doubt about whether you can be trusted.
The lack of trust is nurtured by the internet and the amount of information that is available as well as by the media and their often distorted view of what is really happening in our economy. (Fake News).
How do you overcome skepticism and start the relationship building process which is necessary to grow a business? Since your primary tools are your words, the content of your conversation is the starting point. Develop a narrative that has its overall focus on facts and figures. Don’t over promise your abilities or those of your products and services. The main message that has to be conveyed is what you will help your customer accomplish.
Consider the following principles as something to adopt when talking to prospects:
- Spend more time talking about the prospects: their goals, their business, their family and other interests. I use the FORD method when talking to clients to start a conversation. Family, Occupation, Relaxation, Dreams, these four words are great topics to break down barriers.
- Keep your conversation at an understandable level. Using big words or technical terms may not be understood by your customer.
- Always be positive! People want to benefit from your product/service so talk about the positive benefits, not the negative things that will happen if they don’t purchase your product/service.
- Be Credible. Credibility is something that is most often earned through the performance of your product/service. The credibility foundation is built brick by brick. The attributes needed are Honesty, Being Forward Looking, Being Inspiring and Being Competent
The key point is that trust must be earned and deserved. You must do something to give your prospects the evidence on which they can base their decision on whether to trust you. As I often write in my blogs, you must be willing to give first in order to get.
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Tips & Advice by Nick Petra, CFP – Founder of Strategic Duck and BizQuack
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