Let’s talk about Trust

There are many qualities that make for a good salesperson and trust is one which is underated. Face it, the only school out there that teaches us about trust is the school of life. And- only if we are ready to learn it, because some never really do. Our social, professional and personal relationships teach us how to trust and give us insight on how others trust us. Trust takes awhile to establish but can be lost quickly never to be regained again.

How do we trust our prosects? I don’t recommend we mistrust our prospects but we must be doubtful because the only time we really trust is when they say yes. Otherwise, every promise, negotiation, commitment and agreement is only for the moment. When we are on the phone, we don’t see the visual clues to determine trust. We can’t see their facial expressions, their posture or the way they are perceived by their peers. On the phones, we just hear their voice, their tone, pace and word choice. These are all indicators of trust and if we listen carfeully, we can determine whether we trust them or not.

How can we gain trust with our prospects? We know that prospects come with a lot of baggage and they mostly want to dislike salespeople. No matter how great your product is or how much technology we use, people still buy from people they like. Let’s revisit the 7 basics to establishing trust when we are on the phone:

1. Strong pre-call research- do your homework
2. Opening with captures attention and earns time
3. Questioning skills that demonstrate you are genuinely interested
4. Listening and not waiting for your turn to talk
5. Acknowledging the empathizing with their pains and linking these with your solution
6. Follow-through and commitment
7. Quick response time that shows you are interested in their business