Because of the sheer volume of irrelevant and pushy calls people get from salespeople, potential customers tend to have a poker face when your reps get them on the phone. They want to soak up as much information as possible without sharing their pain points with your reps. In the meantime, your reps want to know why the person is interested in your product and what exactly they would like to learn about it.
In the buyer/seller relationship, it is up to the seller to clear the air and establish a realistic line of communication.
Potential customers are more skeptical these days, but they are certainly possible to sell to if you know how to build a trusting relationship with them. Here are the 4 foundations of trust in sales:
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Credibility – Nothing beats competence and expertise when it comes to trust in the buyer/seller relationship. Do your reps have complete knowledge of the product or service you offer? Make sure they are true experts before they begin managing their own accounts. Ramp them up slowly by having them shadow the rep on your team that has the most well structured calls. Little by little, let the less experienced rep own more and more of these calls until he can manage them on his own.
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Integrity – A big part of gaining someone’s trust is being honest and dependable. Your reps should always show up to meetings and calls a few minutes early, follow up in a timely manner, and keep every promise. Compatibility is another part of integrity – customers are far more likely to buy from reps who are approachable, likeable, and respectable.
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Providing value – The best and easiest way to provide value to a potential customer is to give free advice. Offer them some free consulting or introduce a new concept that benefits them whether or not they end up buying.
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Shared interests – Customers want to feel they can count on salespeople to act in their best interests. Do your reps effectively show how the buyer’s interests and values collide with theirs?
Building rapport with every person your reps talk with on the phone will help them with future interactions. Potential customers are more likely to champion your reps internally if they trust them and feel comfortable with them. If your rep’s contact is not a decision-maker, it is more likely that he or she will advocate for your rep to his company’s decision-makers.
Set a high standard for your reps’ sales trust factor by integrating these 4 foundations of trust in sales into your sales coaching methodology.
