Trust is one of the most critical yet overlooked tools in the modern business world across the internet and social media. Here at Credico, we believe trust is essential to successful selling. When the buyer trusts you, the buyer will believe your promises; they will take your advice and provide you with referrals. A buyer won’t buy from you unless they trust you.
Trust touches every area of business. Research published by Harvard Business Review makes this abundantly clear: Workers at companies where trust is high report 106% greater energy in the office, 74% lower stress levels, 76% greater engagement, and 50% more productivity than their peers at low-trust businesses.
Therefore, businesses seeking better performance should look to build trust with not only their employees but their customers too. Here at Credico, our primary offering is Sales and Customer Acquisition, a sector that notoriously struggles with a misconception around trust.
The Harvard Business Review stated, “the majority of behaviors that salespeople engage in hinder the likelihood of a sale.” Buyers typically are looking for something other than a salesperson. 79% of buyers say they want a trusted advisor who adds value to their business – not a sales rep.
Sales are made in the dialogue – these conversations may be face-to-face or over the phone. Still, the very essence of a successful sale is based on the ability of the salesperson to build trust in client relationships.
This means salespeople must be at their best, bringing value to their customers. If instead, they push products, they sacrifice goodwill and trust, their sales success is likely to be short-lived, which is not the basis of a long and mutually productive relationship.
Building and maintaining trust with customers takes attention and focus in the following areas:
- Ask great questions during sales conversations.
- Create value proactively, not reactively.
- Be transparent and honest about what you can and can’t do.
- Make your value explicit, not implicit.
- Always maintain a collaborative tone, even when you don’t see eye to eye.
It is a combination of things that we do — and frankly, some things that we don’t — that helps us manage the emotional tone of the conversation. Trust is fragile — slow to gain, quick to lose, and even slower to regain.
Trust is the glue that bonds a customer to a brand. American motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once said: “If people like you, they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.” Here at Credico, we focus on utilizing trust as a currency to secure more sales for our growing client base. Our most successful partnerships understand the importance of trust, and our clients collaborate with us to nurture a long-term relationship with their newly acquired customers to reap the rewards.
Could you be building more trust with your customers? Get in touch to find out how we can support you.