Trust is earned. Building trust in a customer relationship requires that you consistently prove yourself trust worthy. What does it take to be trust worthy? We buy from people we trust. If I trust you to provide great information and/or services, then I'm likely to buy from you again and again, right?
- Demonstrate industry/market/product knowledge
- Be honest, upfront and transparent.
- Show them respect.
- Listen to them.
- Build up your online reputation.
Know Your Market
You need to marinate in your industry trends and know what's going on. That means continually building up your own knowledge and understanding of the market. When you can demonstrate industry knowledge they are going to look at you differently.
For instance, those who are in real estate have to keep tabs on the interest rates, Fannie & Freddie, new home builds, rentals and local residential sales and listings. With the internet, we have easy access to a wealth of information so there is no excuse for not knowing.
The same holds true for product knowledge. If you are selling an actual product, then you need strive to understand how to use it. Know the in's and out's.
Recognize the shortcomings of the product and learn how to mitigate them. You have to understand how the benefits of your product impact your customers. Use the product(s) you are selling to acquire a working understanding of it.
When you have acquired industry (product and/or market) knowledge, now you have a solid foundation from which you can build on.
To Be Honest
Be honest with your customers. If you don't know something, tell them you don't but that you will look into it further and get back to them on that. There's a lot of power in saying, "I don't know." People who are honest and transparent, who say what they are thinking earn trust in that relationship.
Then follow-up with an answer to their question within 24hrs. Don't just forget about it and assume that your customer did too.
Also, there's something called lying by omission. Lying by omission means that you are deliberately avoiding an important topic that will likely come up later. For instance, say you customer asks you about features A and B but not C. Well, you know that C is important but it's a weak area of your product or service so you decide to not bring it up.
The better course of action would be to be upfront with your customers about it. This will not only instantly boost trust in your customer relationship but will also avoid unpleasant conversations down the road when they ask you why you didn't tell them about it.
Be Straight Forward With Them
You want to build truth worthiness fast? Be direct. That's not a license to be rude or aggressive towards them. If you see that you customer is doing something stupid, then nicely offer them a better alternative. If they insist on doing it their way, just politely back off and let them have at it.
When selling a product for instance, if the customer says he wants to use your product in a way that it was not designed to be used, then say so. Politely tell them, "no, that's not what it's designed to do".
All products and services today are almost at parity, which means they are very similar. For instance, all real estate agents provide the same services. However, you as a salesperson have to be the differentiating component.
It's not what you sell, it's HOW you sell it. Identify to yourself what makes you different than the others. Take into account your experiences, knowledge, personality, trust worthiness, etc. It is your ability to communicate with the customer in such a way that they trust you and will likely follow your advice.
If a client is ignoring your advice, it's likely that they don't trust you. Take immediate steps to build that trust first before offering any further advice. Earn their trust and the rest will follow.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Don't You Know What It Means To Me...
Today's society is too often disgracefully missing two critical aspects of any relationship, respect and kindness towards others. I see this most conspicuously in young adults. There's a gaping lack of instruction regarding treating others with respect.
The same holds true for acts of kindness. Do you know why it makes such a huge impression? Because there is so little of it any more. Instead we see, hear and read about acts of cruelty so often it highlights the random act of kindness all the more.
Be the differentiator. Show them respect. Go above and beyond what they expect from you. Take some time to get to know them and their family. Try to connect on a more personal level as one human being to another.
Focus On Your Customer
Far too often our brains are processing faster than someone's mouth can speak all the words they want to say. Take a breath, slow down and listen to what people are saying. Even when you know what they are going to say, let them say it! It is through listening to them and focusing all of your attention on them, that you build trust.
Far too often we assume that our clients know and understand all of the terminology of our industry. But that's not often the case. Dumb down if you have to, in order to better communicate with your client. Avoid making assumptions that you know what they want or need.
Our main goal in communication is to acknowledge and understand what is being said. Ask your clients questions. What is it that you want? What are you looking for? What are your needs? Then repeat to them what you heard them say. This is effective communication.
When you are with your client, be with them. Don't be doing a million other things, looking at your phone or computer when they are speaking to you. Give them your undivided attention. Going on a showing? First, mute your phone before you walk up to your client. Walk around the property with them and listen to their comments. Make a mental note of their concerns. Look for solutions.
Building your customer relationship slowly and carefully will likely mean you have a customer for life who will from time to time, refer their family and friends to you.
Build Your Online Reputation
Online reviews from your past and existing clients can quickly build your trust factor. Word of mouth weighs heavily online. Think about it. We always look at reviews when considering a purchase, finding an Airbnb, hiring a contractor or finding a lawyer, Realtor or lender. What other people have to say about you and your services has a BIG impact. Take a look at these stats.
- 82% of consumers consult online reviews for local small businesses.
- Online reviews are twice as likely to be an important factor in choosing a local small business over loyalty.
- Reviews are also 7x more effective than traditional marketing.
- 87% of people say that quality of service is the most important detail when looking at online reviews for service-based businesses. 78% also say cost is equally as important.
- 96% of customers value online reviews when selecting a residential home services provider
The more reviews you can generate over time, the higher Google will place your business listing in search results giving you greater exposure.
People search on Google first. When searching for real estate agents or mortgage lenders will use very general terms. Who do you think they are going to choose from the search engine results? A real estate agent with 1 or 2 reviews or someone else with 25+ reviews? The more online reviews you can acquire on your Google profile, the greater the trust factor you can convey to them right from the start.
Trust is something that builds over time. So be patient. Help them and meet their needs. Go slow to sell more!
