Selling with trust

Salespeople who build trustworthy relationships with customers stand a greater chance of developing a successful career

By Tom Reilly -- Industrial Distribution, 1/1/2005

Trust is the currency of all good relationships. If two people like each other, trust each other, and want to do business, they will work out the details. Price is a detail. Trust is visceral. It is something people feel in their gut when relating with others. Do your customers trust you?

You build trust when you tell the truth. Honesty and integrity go hand-in-glove with trust. Truth means you don't have to remember to whom you lied. When you tell the truth, you come across as authentic; you are the real deal.

You build trust with customers when you show respect for their time. It demonstrates that you recognize the value of this precious commodity. Customers know you will never squander that little bit of their lives they share with you.

You build trust when you deliver on your promises. The number one customer complaint about salespeople is lack of follow-up. When you say what you will do and do what you say, customers know they can depend on you. Your word is gold with them.

You build trust when you deliver bad news as well as good news. No one likes to be the bearer of bad news, but customers depend on your shooting straight with them, even and especially when the truth hurts. They respect your courage in telling them what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear.

You build trust when you don't know the answer to a question the buyer asks you and you tell them, "I don't have an answer for you now, but I will get you one immediately."

You build trust with the customer when you listen more than you talk. What better way to demonstrate your genuine interest in the customer than to listen patiently to things they feel are important? Listening means you value their input and want to customize your solution to their needs.

You build trust when you demonstrate empathy for the customer. Empathy is viewing your solution through the customer's eyes. When you view your solution as value received versus value added, it demonstrates your insight into their needs, wants and fears.

You build trust with your credibility. Are you believable? How knowledgeable are you? Can the customer rely on your information to make sound business decisions? Are you first and foremost a good businessperson?

You build trust with confidence in your solution and your performance. Customers want to deal with salespeople who believe in what they do. They will trust your knowledge, judgment and enthusiasm.

Today's salespeople face new challenges with supply chain management, group purchasing organizations, and online bidding. Accountants, engineers, and consultants have done their best to strip the value of personal relationships in buying and selling. But people still buy from people. And customers want to buy from people they trust. Your job is to build enough trust in the relationship that when you tell the customer your solution costs more because it's worth more, they believe you.