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Three Steps to Quickly Build Credibility #433
Have you ever been in a conversation where people are casually trashing the sales profession and people forget that that’s what you do for a living! Exasperating right? Given the tarnished reputation of sellers by our culture, this creates a special challenge when working with prospects and break through their skepticism and build trust. How do we do that? How can we show that our products and services look like credible solutions to real life problems? That’s the topic for today.
Today’s Chapter: Three Stages of Credibility
Considered a stranger
The buyer is quick to judge the seller.
From dress, to speech,
from handshake to eye contact
Credibility starts.
Considered an unknown
The buyer measures the company.
From experience, to brochures,
From references , to network
Credibility proceeds.
Considered a possible solution
The buyer vets the product.
From ease of use, to flexibility,
From meeting specs, to cost
Credibility is cemented.
Seller, company and product,
This is the three-fold path to credibility.
Today’s Story
Pat listened in on a few outreach calls. Dial after dial Chris started to explain the benefits of the company’s flagship product but far too often, the prospects quickly became skeptical and ended the call.
At the end of the morning Pat pulled Chris aside and shared some insights. “This is the thing” Pat started “I appreciate that you’ve learned all about the features and first speak to benefits. But you’re missing two important steps”. “What’s that?” Chris asked eagerly since any advice that accelerated the call ratio would be much appreciated.
Well” said Pat, ”You first need to sell you, then the company and then the product”. “Sell me?” Chris asked quizzically ”What do you mean by that?”
Pat explained, “If people don’t trust you, they won’t trust what you say. Credibility starts with you, personally. Then the credibility of the company comes into play, especially when you sell services like we do. People want to make sure we’re not charlatans looking for a quick transaction. Once they trust you and the company, then the credibility of the products comes next. This is the order to build trust: first the seller, then the company and lastly the product. This is the path of success.”
Take Action Quote
To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful. That’s a quote from the journalist Edward R. Murrow. Morrow was trusted for his reporting over the 1940s through the 60s including the second world war and the Joseph McCarthy censor hearings. Morrow deeply believed that trust is the start of any relationship. As sellers that ‘s where we start, that is square one.
I’m often surprised how much of a sale hinges on feelings and emotion vs logic and business plans. That stuff comes later, but credibility is how we earn the opportunity to play the game and step up to bat. Trust me, start at trust
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How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble
Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers. Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help, showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com
You can be yourself when selling. It’s all about helping others with their challenges and aspirations. I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most important the right selling mindset. Stop fearing sales and embrace it. Learn the selling secrets for non-sellers and start making a difference today. Here is the entire back catalog of episodes in the sales podcast. Look here https://www.salesbabble.com/sales-podcast-free-advice/
This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net
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