Is your trust level at platinum–or is it tarnished? We salespeople can’t sell anything to anyone without first establishing an exceptional level of trust–an increasingly difficult thing to do. The ten tips I shared on in a recent radio show can help sales professionals build a ‘platinum level’ of trust.
The Ten Tips to Gain Trust at a Platinum Level
1. Learn non-verbal skills and apply them in writing, on the phone, and in person to establish rapport in an increasingly ‘cold inquiry’ world.
2. We believe what others say about a salesperson, not what the salesperson says about themselves. Use testimonials; check evaluation websites to see what consumers are saying about you.
Check out www.realestateratingz.com and www.incredibleagents.com. See what clients on Zillow are saying about you. Check out www.veritifiedagent.com. This is a huge trend–the consumer checking references on the web (think Yelp or Angie’s List).
3. Create an after-the-sale survey and use it consistently. If there’s something wrong, fix it fast. See my last blog for a copy of an after-sale survey.
4. We believe what we see, not what we hear. Show, don’t tell. Use visual presentations consistently.
5. Flip your sales presentations. Ask questions—lots of questions—first. Educate. Finally, sell (well, you won’t have to sell).
6. Tell the truth attractively. Show evidence. Don’t try to scare the client into action by predicting the future.
7. Evaluate the client for long-term relationships. Is the client someone you want to add to your ‘tribe’?
8. Use ‘tough love’ with a client to tell the truth, turn down a client—to stay true to your values. Do what’s best for the client.
9. Re-cap. Regularly, stop and re-cap with the client. Do this, too, when you can’t meet client expectations.
10. Book of Greatness: Don’t brag about yourself in the middle of a presentation. Create a ‘Book of Greatness’ to use in your pre-first visit so your clients get to know you and your approach to sales.
Each one of these strategies will work to increase your trust quotient, win your more clients, and cement loyalty forever!
