11 Ways to Build Trust

In the last blog I talked about how building trust reduces objections. I will now cover 11 ways you can build trust with your prospective clients. 

With trust, you want to demonstrate three key traits: Empathy, Credibility and Competency..

Empathy = the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.

Empathy is demonstrated by asking questions related to their position and their company, their understanding. Coming prepared from their perspective, anticipating what questions they may ask. It is a two way dialogue understanding the problem and recognizing the urgency.

Competency = an ability or skill – able to do or perform the task that is required.

Credibility = the quality or power of inspiring belief

Your prospects and customers must see that you are aware of their perspective, their issues and what their motivations as they address their goals, problems or needs. They must believe that you have the ability or capacity to actually help them achieve their desired results and that you can demonstrate how you have done it for others in the past.

They then will trust you to work with them to solve their business issues. 

• Blogging on industry issues demonstrates competencey and adds value
• Doing what you say immediately such as follow up on commitments made demonstrates integrity and credibility
• Giving a gift such as a book or an article in the first meeting shows that you are interested in them building upon relationship trust. It is also an opportunity to discuss the book topic showing competency.
• Consistent follow-up in a timely manner demonstrates integrity and competence.
• Connecting them with another person of value such as in networking or problem solving gives competency trust.
• Sending a detailed Meeting Summary after the meeting builds competence trust
• Thank you cards shows that extra detail of credibility and caring which builds relationship trust.
• Sending articles that will be of interest to them builds competency and relationship trust
• Doing something for their children or family is building relationship trust such as a gift or tickets, gift card, etc.
• Being on time clearly shows competency and builds relationship trust
• Communicating the person's preferred thinking quadrant - Whole Brain Thinking thus building credibility.

CONCLUSION:

The truth about trust is that trust is built upon cumulative events. An even spacing of credible, competent events will subconsciouly build trust in your prospect's mind and reduce their risk. The bad news is that one event can destroy all the hard work you have done in building trust. According to the pyschologist B. F. Skinner, it takes four positive events of building trust to make up for one negative event. In reversal, all it takes is one negative event to erase four positive trust building events.

So, be intentional about how you build trust.

For more information on how to create a really powerful, even deal closing, email summary, email me with "Meeting Summary" the title.