9 Ways To Build Trust With Your Customers in Sales
- Madhu Kumar C
- Apr 2, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 5
Building Trust in Sales:
When do you feel most anxious when trying to convince someone to buy from you? Is it when you’re trying to close a deal? Do you worry that you’re not making enough of an impression?
Or do you feel anxious when trying to close a deal with a new customer? Even though your prospects know what they want and don’t need your help in making that decision, trust is still the biggest barrier to closing a sale.
You can’t just assume that your prospect trusts you. You need to show them that they can trust you and then build on that trust over time.
Whether you're a seasoned sales professional or just starting, your ability to establish genuine trust with prospects can make the difference between a one-time transaction and a long-term partnership.
This blog post explores proven ways to build that essential foundation of trust with your customers and drive sales accordingly. To give you more information, let's go deeper. Also, don't forget to read the FAQs at the end.
Do you know? - “Social proof is the quickest way to build trust and inspire action” – TVRBO
How to Build Trust in Sales?:
Here are the nine most important ways to build trust with your customers in sales:
1. Show Customers You’re Human:
You can make a very strong case for your product or service, but if your customers don’t trust you, they won’t buy it.
Trust is built over time, so you need to show your prospects that you’re human. In other words, you need to be relatable.
When you’re trying to build trust with your customers, you need to show them that you’re a person, not a robot. You need to show them that you have emotions and are capable of making mistakes.
One of the ways to do this is to be open about your past. Not only will being transparent about your weaknesses help build trust with your prospects, but it will also help show them that you’re human.
Here is also how you can generate more sales from your business's USP (unique selling proposition).
2. Demonstrate Your Expertise:
Trust is built over time, so you need to show your prospects that you’re the expert they’re looking for. You can do this in a few different ways.
First, let your prospects see your expertise by sharing your knowledge and experience with them. Be sure to add value by offering help and advice, not just facts. You can also cite statistics and data to support your claims.
Second, let your prospects see your expertise by demonstrating your product tools. This might seem simple, but trust is built through consistency. If you tell your prospects you’re an expert at something, they need to see it in your actions.
Third, demonstrate your integrity. If you claim to be honest, they’ll expect you to be honest. If you claim to be honest and transparent, they’ll expect it from you even more.
You can demonstrate your integrity by doing a few things:
Showing up to meetings early or on time,
Resolving issues quickly and professionally,
Communicating frequently with your prospects about the status of their projects or requests, and
Keeping promises when possible.
3. Be Proactive and Show You Care:
You can’t just assume that your prospects trust you, so you need to be proactive in showing them that you care.
Trust is built slowly, so you can’t just take someone’s word for it that they trust you. Instead, you need to earn it over time. One way to do this is to show your prospects that you care about them as people.
This is especially important in service industries, where your customers feel like numbers. Instead of just putting customers in front of their next problem, show them that you care. Also, know how to re-engage inactive customers?
Remember - “It’s not enough to resolve an issue quickly—brands must give quality customer care by interacting with every message on a personal level” – Sprout Social
4. Be Honest and Genuine:
You need to show your prospects that you’re genuine. Trust is built over time, so you can’t just fake it. Be honest and genuine, and your customers will let you build more trust.
This might sound simple, but it’s often difficult. In fact, many business owners make the mistake of being too honest and genuine with their customers.
They keep having honest conversations with prospects, only to be met with a wall of distrust when they try to sell them something.
5. Deliver What is Promised:
Building trust with your customers starts with making promises that you can keep. This could mean building a product that actually works, shipping a product on time, or offering support for a product that you sell.
If you make a promise to your customers and you don’t keep it, then you need to make it up to them.
You can’t just say that you’ll do something and then give your prospects the runaround. At the end of the day, you need to be held accountable for what you promised.
6. Help Customers Solve Their Problems:
If you build a great product, then your customers should have no trouble solving their problems with it.
However, if you simply offer a product that solves a problem, but your customers don’t know that they have that problem, you won’t be able to build trust with them.
You need to find out what problems your customers are facing and help them solve them. This is how you build trust with your customers.
7. Keep Customers Informed:
Keeping your customers informed is vital when it comes to building trust with them. If you promise your prospects that you’ll keep them informed about a certain event (like a new offer or sale), then make sure you keep your promise.
Keeping your customers informed shows that you respect them as people and that you’re concerned about their well-being. It also gives you an opportunity to give them more information if they request it.
8. Build Relationships:
The best way to build trust with your customers is to build a relationship with them. This means spending time with your customers, going above and beyond for them, and letting them know that you care.
They’ll be more willing to trust you. Consistency is key when you’re building trust with your customers. If you say that you’ll do something and then don’t follow through, your customers will lose trust in you.
“CMOs are making concerted efforts to build relationships. Just under 9 in 10 CMOs (89%) say that relationship building has become important to succeed” - LinkedIn’s B2B Marketing Benchmark 2024 Report
9. Don’t Be Pushy:
Last but not least, don’t be pushy. Trust is built over time, so you need to give it to your customers slowly.
You can’t just expect them to trust you on day one. Remember, in sales, trust isn't built overnight, but once established, it becomes your most valuable competitive advantage.
In conclusion, building trust isn't just a sales tactic; it's the foundation of lasting customer relationships.
By consistently demonstrating integrity, delivering on your promises, and genuinely prioritizing customer needs over short-term profits, you'll establish a reputation that drives repeat business and referrals.
Here's related information that you may find helpful – Is the Customer Experience the Same as Customer Service?
FAQs:
Building Relationships in Sales:
The following aspects will help you in building relationships in sales:
Listen more than you talk.
Solve problems, don't just sell products.
Follow up consistently.
Remember personal details.
Deliver on promises.
Provide value before asking for anything.
Be authentic and transparent.
Express genuine gratitude.
Seek feedback and act on it.
Stay in touch even when not selling.
How to Build Trust in a Sales Call?:
Here is how you can build trust in a sales call:
Be prepared and knowledgeable about your product or service.
Listen actively to understand their needs.
Ask thoughtful questions instead of just pitching.
Admit when you don't know something.
Share relevant case studies or social proof.
Address objections honestly.
Focus on solving problems, not pushing products.
Set realistic expectations.
Follow through on commitments promptly.
Respect their time.
Best Tools for AI Sales Automation:
What is Trust Building in Business?:
Trust building in business is the process of establishing credibility, reliability, and integrity through consistent actions, transparent communication, and delivering on promises.
It's the foundation for lasting business relationships that lead to customer loyalty, repeat sales, and positive referrals.
Here's related information that you may also find helpful – Consumer Decision Making Process
P.S: Ready to [unlock the power of digital marketing] and drive [your] business forward? – Access my forum today
P.S.S: Please don’t forget to forward this blog post to your network so they can get the best tips, practices, strategies, education, resources, and tools to help their businesses grow [sharing is caring].
Comments