Trustworthiness

AZBroker

Besides what has already been posted testimonials and endorsements from people your prospect trusts are very helpful. Same with guarantees (minimize risk).

Skip Anderson

Yes, excellent AZBroker!

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Skip Anderson
Selling To Consumers | Sales Training to Sell More™
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Thomas

How would you get someone to trust you right away like in the first couple minutes so that they will answer your questions and be honest about it?

Skip Anderson

Thomas, this is a great question and an important one. For what they're worth, here are my answers (my expertise is in consumer sales, so I'll answer it with that basis):

1. Wildly successful salespeople are able to engage prospects in short order. Engagement builds trust.

2. Wildly successful salespeople are likable. This could be any combination of things such as being charismatic, attractive, funny, unique, or having a great smile, etc. The prospect-salesperson relationship is no different than meeting a new potential friend or picking up someone in a bar. Some people are good at making new friends and some aren't, but great salespeople are.

3. Wildly successful salespeople who sell to consumers have an ability to turn the focus quickly to the prospect and away from themselves or their product/service. Since human nature loves sincere attention, this serves as a trust-builder.

I've seen lots of salespeople who were extraordinarily knowledgeable, and helpful, and hard-working, but they were not able to do the three things I listed above, and therefore, they were not high performing salespeople.

The best to you!

MitchM

If people don't trust me immediately they're missing something about me they don't get. Because I'm direct and candid and honest in a simple way like minded people reply the same. In less than three minutes I often know important and personal information other people fail to hear.

When you're honest with no other agenda than to understand and hear clearly most people recognize that. When you ask important and direct questions and listen to the answers people also recognize that.

MitchM

Mikey

I wonder if people's fears sometimes blind them to seeing that the salesperson is being attentive and honest. What do you think?

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"You're only as good as what you did yesterday, not a month ago, not a year ago."

Skip Anderson

In my opinion, what is more important than being direct and candid early in the sales relationship is being likable. Not every personality-type likes direct and candid communication, especially in the first three minutes of a sales encounter (in fact, most prospects do not like direct and candid conversations within the first three minutes of a sales encounter), but everybody likes likable people. So my vote is that likable people will develop prospect engagement more often than direct people will.

We all tend to relate best to people who are like-minded. But our biggest challenge as salespeople is to get prospects who are not like-minded to relate to us so we can have a fruitful sales interaction with them.

The best to you!

MitchM

Your use of "like minded" is different than mine, Skip. Direct isn't harsh or abrupt and candid is likable and friendly and casual the way I use them.

Is there one kind of likable person? I don't know.

The best of the best to everyone.

MitchM

MitchM

"I wonder if people's fears sometimes blind them to seeing that the salesperson is being attentive and honest. What do you think?" -- Mickey

I think you are right. There are also othe reasons. I've analyzed that, pegged people into this and that hole then attempted to apply the right balm to butter up the hole and slip them out so that a better conversation attentive and honest both ways opened up.

I don't do that any more - I like relaxing and strolling through life - unless I'm doing my exercise activities - and I'm not confrontational or aggressive or assertive or high powered.

In my ambling way through life I offer people solutions to their expressed needs and if they want to know more we communicate - if not we don't. THAT doesn't exclude repeat offers or sometimes longer communications and time to work out things.

BUT it does mean zero resistance, zero stress, zero struggle and for those who need, want and are willing to pay for what I offer an honest and trustworthy relationship which can begin in just a few minutes - enought time to open mutual doors of need.

That's what I do.

MitchM

Skip Anderson

MitchM, what is your definition of "like minded"?

Thanks!