Let’s talk about what we really sell as sales professionals.?Too often we think we sell a product or a service created by our company or something we represent. We might sell the latest model of X or the convenience of Y.?Both are good.?Some sellers might say they have the most advanced technology or our team as a deep bench and a ton of experience. What we in sales need to be reminded of is that we sell Trust and Value.?In these challenging times, Trust can be destroyed by missing a shipment date, not returning calls, not following up, or trying to blame someone else.?Trust is the bedrock of great salesmanship, here at your company and everywhere else.?In fact, the IMPACT Sales Process created by The Brooks Group, is built on the bedrock of Trust and Value.
Jenny Keohane from Yesware broke this down in a recent article. Here are 5 ways to gain trust in your sales game:
- Establish Credibility – People fear the unknown, we seek comfort. Establishing credibility is vital to gaining comfortability.?Once the prospect or customer is comfortable with you, trust can be built.?Using the IMPACT sales process and the “MEET” stage, here is when we begin to build trust based on the knowing, understanding and adapting to our prospect or customer’s Behavioral Style.?By connecting at that level, we build rapport and establish trust.
- Show Empathy – Brene Brown has done all the heavy lifting with her work on Empathy. She says, “Empathy fuels connection while sympathy drives disconnection.” “Empathy is I’m feeling with you. Sympathy, I’m feeling for you.”?In our sales culture, empathy takes time to develop.?You, as a person, have to want to grow in your ability to empathize.?Brown goes on to say “Empathy fuels connection. Sympathy drives disconnection.” ?Developing trust requires connecting with the individual.
- Provide Nonverbal Cues – Dr Albert Mehrabian’s work on communication states that 7% is the spoken word, 38% is voice or tone, and 55% is body language.?So, 93% is our look and feel in person, on a zoom call, or over the phone.?Two ways to gain trust are eye contact and smiling.?Much research has been done on the power of eye contact and how that builds rapport.?The ideal eye contact is 7-10 second and your eye contact should meet theirs about 70-80% of the time. ?Smiling is the second nonverbal cue.?Studies have shown that smiling can increase trust by 10%; it never hurts to smile.
- Be Consistent – Both in your behavior and your actions, trust is developed and solidified with a proper cadence of consistency.?The key is a follow up process – consistent activities deliver consistent results. The sales cliché is “the fortune is in the follow up.”?Are you consistent, are you showing empathy, are you building your credibility?
- Make A Connection – Think about shared interests. What is the similarity attraction effect? The similarity-attraction hypothesis explains that?people tend to be attracted to people that are similar to themselves. These similarities are in the form of shared values and beliefs, attitudes, cultural backgrounds, and even small behaviors like posture.?Making a connection requires effort and thought.?It requires situational awareness, social media research on the person, and curiosity.?Plus, it can be like a puzzle, figuring out where that connection is and how it will gain trust over time.
?So, here you are, at the end of this short article.?Perhaps you have been reminded of something that can build your trust, add value, and extend the conversation in your sales career.?
