For many people, the instability of the economic climate has left them feeling wary of new deals or contracts. For this reason, it's vital that you create a foundation of trust for your relationship, and then constantly work to maintain it.
According to sales trainer Colleen Francis, "Meeting - or exceeding - customer expectations is at the heart of trust. When expectations aren't met, trust is broken, opportunities are missed and sales can be lost, all despite the countless hours of hard work that were put in to almost making something happen."
Here are Francis' tips for maintaining a trusting client relationship:
1. Be clear, thorough - and honest
Shared expectations produce greater harmony and more sales - period. When establishing expectations at the onset of a project, be as thorough as possible, and be prepared to adjust as needed.
For example, if you find the customer asking for something you simply can't deliver, try some of the following to set the right expectations, right from the start:
--"I'm not sure we can provide the program with that deposit schedule. If we can't, does that mean it's over between us?"
--"I don't think we can meet your delivery schedule. Knowing that, does it make sense for us to move forward?"
In addition, be clear about what your customer can expect from you, as well as what they can't. Tell them what you can deliver instead of what they are asking for. Tell them that if ever you are unable to fulfill a request, you will always let them know either up front, or the minute you realize it yourself.
2. Set the bar for consistent performance
Remember the old adage, "under-promise and over-deliver?" In sales, this isn't just a falsehood - it also sets an expectation that you might not be able to keep up with in the future.
When you under-promise and over-deliver, you set the bar for what the customer expects you to deliver at a whole new level. What you "over-delivered" becomes the new baseline, and when you aren't able to meet this new standard consistently, your customer will end up feeling confused, disappointed - or betrayed.
To build a consistently profitable relationship, there's no point in delivering better, faster for less investment than your original promise if you know that you can't keep that promise through the relationship. It's better to simply say what you are going to do, and then do it exactly as and when you said you would.
Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions. Armed with skills developed from years of experience, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line. Learn more at www.EngageSelling.com
Showing posts with label building trust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label building trust. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Build Credibility and Bigger Sales
While we always try to give you as much straight selling advice as possible, sometimes a simple story is all you need to make a point. This story from telesales expert Art Sobczak will make it clear why establishing credibility is one of the most important things you can do.
I finally gave in and bought the iPhone. Wow, what a cool device! It's so much more than a phone.
While in the Apple store, I had an interesting sales experience with one of the reps. While looking at the wall of accessories to perhaps add to the sale, I asked the rep, whom I had perceived to be quite knowledgeable and helpful to this point, what type of case he'd recommend. He told me that he personally didn't even use a case, and most of the stuff they sold was pure crap, plus if you dropped the phone, cases just protected the edges, and you'd likely be screwed anyway.
He said of course management wouldn't want him saying that, but there was no need for a case, just a film screen protector. That impressed me. I didn't want a bulky case anyway, so I was relieved that I did not really need one.
Then when I asked him about a car charger, which I really did want and need, pointed out a couple they had available, including the more expensive one he recommended, which of course I bought. Even though I knew what just happened, I did it anyway because it made sense.
I experienced what Dr. Robert Cialdini calls the Theory of Credibility in his book, Influence. That means that when credibility has been established, we tend to accept the recommendations of those making them. By obviously steering me away from spending money on something he felt I didn't need, I felt comfortable with his other suggestion.
You can do the same. Think of situations where you might lose a sale, or recommend a lower-priced product if it's in your customer's best interest. Chances are, your credibility will rise in your customer's mind, and your long-term payoff will be larger.
Sure, especially today, sales might be even harder to come by for many people. However, keep in mind that by having the customer's best interest in mind, you will always profit more in the long term.
Art Sobczak helps sales pros use the phone to prospect, service and sell more effectively, while eliminating morale-killing rejection. To get FREE weekly emailed TelE-Sales Tips visit: www.BusinessByPhone.com
I finally gave in and bought the iPhone. Wow, what a cool device! It's so much more than a phone.
While in the Apple store, I had an interesting sales experience with one of the reps. While looking at the wall of accessories to perhaps add to the sale, I asked the rep, whom I had perceived to be quite knowledgeable and helpful to this point, what type of case he'd recommend. He told me that he personally didn't even use a case, and most of the stuff they sold was pure crap, plus if you dropped the phone, cases just protected the edges, and you'd likely be screwed anyway.
He said of course management wouldn't want him saying that, but there was no need for a case, just a film screen protector. That impressed me. I didn't want a bulky case anyway, so I was relieved that I did not really need one.
Then when I asked him about a car charger, which I really did want and need, pointed out a couple they had available, including the more expensive one he recommended, which of course I bought. Even though I knew what just happened, I did it anyway because it made sense.
I experienced what Dr. Robert Cialdini calls the Theory of Credibility in his book, Influence. That means that when credibility has been established, we tend to accept the recommendations of those making them. By obviously steering me away from spending money on something he felt I didn't need, I felt comfortable with his other suggestion.
You can do the same. Think of situations where you might lose a sale, or recommend a lower-priced product if it's in your customer's best interest. Chances are, your credibility will rise in your customer's mind, and your long-term payoff will be larger.
Sure, especially today, sales might be even harder to come by for many people. However, keep in mind that by having the customer's best interest in mind, you will always profit more in the long term.
Art Sobczak helps sales pros use the phone to prospect, service and sell more effectively, while eliminating morale-killing rejection. To get FREE weekly emailed TelE-Sales Tips visit: www.BusinessByPhone.com
Friday, February 6, 2009
Gaining Trust
Jean Baudrillard said, "Information can tell us everything. It has all the answers."
If you're looking to gain trust with your clients, information is a great way to do it. According to sales trainer Daniel Adams, "You can gain credibility and show concern by helping customers with non-solution-specific information that helps them run their business better or avoid pains."
In addition to using productivity analyses, industry benchmarking data, and your customer's own financial statements to gather information about your client and their industry, Adams also suggests using customer reference stories to give your clients information about you. Here he relays the perfect way to tell a customer reference story:
How to Tell a Great Customer Reference Story
References are another tool for gaining trust. If you can demonstrate benefits enjoyed by a specific customer, you can convincingly illustrate proven achievements with the use of your solutions.
Does your company have success stories to share? Typically these are available through your company's marketing team. If not, no whining! Simply create them yourself. Here's the best format for communicating success stories to your customers. Highlight four things: the customer, the challenge, the solution, and the results.
Here's an example:
The Customer:
ABC Corp. A large insurance company in the Midwest.
The Challenge:
The company had significant challenges with costs rising faster than revenue.
The Solution:
Implement enterprise wide software solution to automate the reporting and management of all employee purchases and expenditures.
The Result:
A significant savings due to the elimination of rogue spending and off-contract buying. Estimated year one savings: $5.4 million.
Daniel Adams, author of Building Trust, Growing Sales, and creator of Trust Triangle Selling(tm) helps corporations improve their profits by optimizing the performance of their sales teams. He is a frequent and popular speaker at national sales meetings, workshops and association events. Visit www.trusttriangleselling.com.
If you're looking to gain trust with your clients, information is a great way to do it. According to sales trainer Daniel Adams, "You can gain credibility and show concern by helping customers with non-solution-specific information that helps them run their business better or avoid pains."
In addition to using productivity analyses, industry benchmarking data, and your customer's own financial statements to gather information about your client and their industry, Adams also suggests using customer reference stories to give your clients information about you. Here he relays the perfect way to tell a customer reference story:
How to Tell a Great Customer Reference Story
References are another tool for gaining trust. If you can demonstrate benefits enjoyed by a specific customer, you can convincingly illustrate proven achievements with the use of your solutions.
Does your company have success stories to share? Typically these are available through your company's marketing team. If not, no whining! Simply create them yourself. Here's the best format for communicating success stories to your customers. Highlight four things: the customer, the challenge, the solution, and the results.
Here's an example:
The Customer:
ABC Corp. A large insurance company in the Midwest.
The Challenge:
The company had significant challenges with costs rising faster than revenue.
The Solution:
Implement enterprise wide software solution to automate the reporting and management of all employee purchases and expenditures.
The Result:
A significant savings due to the elimination of rogue spending and off-contract buying. Estimated year one savings: $5.4 million.
Daniel Adams, author of Building Trust, Growing Sales, and creator of Trust Triangle Selling(tm) helps corporations improve their profits by optimizing the performance of their sales teams. He is a frequent and popular speaker at national sales meetings, workshops and association events. Visit www.trusttriangleselling.com.
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