Who do youtrust? Why do you trust? Who trusts you?
When you make a sale,the first thing you do is celebrate the victory. That’s okay for aminute or two, but then you have to make more sales.
What you shoulddo after a sale is determine how the sale was made, and why thecustomer bought from you. This critical information will lead you tothe next sale in half the time. Or less.
For years I haveemployed this sales law: If they like you, and they believe you,and they have confidence in you, and they trust you — then they maybuy from you.
The customer boughtbecause they trusted you. But in order for you to gain that trust,they first had to like you AND believe you AND have confidence inyou. If those three elements were not present, trust (or trust enoughto purchase) would not have followed.
CAUTION: There’s avariation of this law. In sales, trust or no trust, sometimescustomers will just take the lowest price. Avoid these people.
In sales and businessrelationships, why does one person trust another person? Trust is aperception and a realization. It’s based on initial feelings andperceptions by the prospective customer — value perception being ahuge one. If the prospect feels value, they will begin to believe,have confidence, and maybe even purchase.
Relationships are basedon trust. Engagements and interactions over time and words and deedsover time. They’re based on a past history of performance. Trust isnot given. Trust is earned. And trust is not earned in a day; it’searned day by day.
It may take two yearsto earn trust. But it only takes one minute to lose it. And thedifference is two letters UN — truth or untruth.
Why do you trustsomebody? Think about the criteria in your mind that createspermission to trust someone else. Then think of the people you trustand ask yourself why do I trust him or her? Reliability?Consistency? Long-term friendship? A giving person? A truthfulperson? An understanding person? A person whose words, thoughts, anddeeds you’ve come to rely on and depend on in times of need? Is itsomeone who performs these things for you without any motive? Withoutany agenda? Without any expectation of something in return?
Trust is not complex.Many of the answers you come up with as to why you trust others canlead you to your own game plan to become trustworthy.
Here are some simpleelements of trust that you must MASTER in order to make it possiblefor a relationship to blossom:
Tell the truth.This is the number one element of trust AND relationships. Once truthhas been violated, trust evaporates and may never return.
Deliver what youpromise. People hope and expect you to deliver on promises.
Do what you say youwill do. This is a test for being reliable and trustworthy.
Communicate in atimely manner. Rapid response shows you are responsible, on topof it, and that you care.
Bring value beyondyour product or service. What you do to help others be moresuccessful will be a true reflection of your character.
Be on time.Being on time shows you respect the other person’s time. It alsoproves your reliability.
Be friendly.Smiling people are the gateway to open communication. It costs noextra money to be friendly.
Be sincere. Thiscan only come from belief in what you do, loving what you do, andcaring for others. Not just being true to others, being true toyourself. Sincerity comes from within.
Be appreciative oftheir business. Showing and saying genuine thanks will not onlybuild a relationship — it will enhance loyalty.
Be grateful for theopportunity to be of service. If you have a service heart, if youlove to serve others, you will build trust with every action.
Be consistent.Trust is not a once in a while thing. It’s a constant thing. Youcan’t be on time one day and late the next. You can’t be friendlyone day and rude the next. You can’t deliver one day and not thenext. I believe this element is the most difficult to master becauseit combines all the other elements.
Give trust. Youbecome trustworthy by giving trust to others.
In sales, in business,and in personal relationships of all kind, trust is THE criticalelement. It’s the glue that binds all the other elements together.Without it, the relationship will fade, diminish, or die.
What are you doing tobreed trust?What are you doing tobuild trust?What are you doing toenhance the trust you have built?What are you doing toguard and protect the trust you’ve built?
I trust you will workon it.
If you’re interestedin one more idea on how to gain trust, go to www.gitomer.com,register if you’re a first-time visitor, and enter the word TRUSTin the GitBit box.
This is an excerpt from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Teal Book of Trust. To purchase a copy of the book, click here.
