Any new entrepreneur has the challenge of finding and locking down sales in order to gain attention in their specific niche. As time goes on, closing on sales will become more natural to you, but for those of you who are just starting out, it can seem quite daunting. The truth is, there is an art to closing. It requires building close business relationships and trust with your clients.
Let’s face it: if potential clients don’t trust you, you’re going to have an incredibly difficult time getting them to engage with you. They would instead rather spend their time, energy, and money on your competition who meets their need better than you do. In this chapter, we will take a look at a handful of tips to help build trust with potential clients so you have a better chance at closing the sale.
Secret #1: Talk Less and Listen More
When you’re new to the game and trying to build a relationship, often times it can feel a bit forced. You need sales. You want them to know all about your amazing product or service. How can you spread the word without actually talking about what you do? But in reality, you can’t serve a client’s needs unless you actually know and understand what their needs are.
If you’re the one doing all the talking, how well are you listening to the needs of your customer? And if you’re not listening, how can you provide their needs? The best way to approach any business deal is to ask questions and then listen. Take notes. If you think you aren’t clear on something, ask more questions.
Secret #2: Be Informative and Honest
Always give 110% of yourself in everything you do. That includes being completely honest about what you can deliver. Again, it’s not about talking and talking and talking. Once you listen to your customer’s needs, show them what you can do and how you provide them with value. Be authentic and relatable.
The sad truth is, there is too much dishonesty in every market. Snake oil salesmen fill the landscape with promises they never deliver and mess it up for everyone else. You can stand out in your market by being honest and living up to what you say you can deliver. Otherwise, you will gain a bad reputation and that is often too much for anyone to overcome. Going above and beyond is always appreciated and will attract new customers.
Secret #3: Be True to Your Passion
Something potential customers love to see is passion. Drive. Confidence. You absolutely LOVE what you do and can’t see yourself doing anything else. It’s that attitude that will take you far versus seemingly like you’re only in it for the money or it’s just a job to you.
Have you ever gone to a fast food restaurant and seen the faces of the workers there? There is no enthusiasm. All they care about is watching the clock so they can go home. But every so often, you find one who is in a great mood. And that great mood is contagious, right? It sticks with you for a while.
You are a living example of the services you offer your clients. What you offer potentially makes their lives more joyful and happy. As we’ve discussed before, they want to buy from you because they are looking to avoid pain or achieve gain. By meeting their needs, you’re making their lives better, safer, and more enjoyable.
Secret #4: Follow Up is Important!
We have already discussed the importance of building trust. But trust is rarely gained after just one encounter. True relationships (business relationships included!) take time to develop. So if you really want to motivate people to trust you and buy, be sure to follow up with them.
This is especially true even if they already decided to buy. What better way to show you care than to drop a note in the mail or to send an email? Keeping the dialogue going shows you care that they are happy with your product or service
