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Most buyers don’t want to be sold to. They want to have detailed and helpful answers to all of their questions, and then they want to buy from someone they can trust (and usually, those two companies are one in the same) So, how can your business become trusted in the eye of the buyer, so that you get more sales?
In this article, you’re going to learn why trust is the ultimate ingredient for sales success and how you can start building trust today.
But before we dive into the specifics, let’s tackle three critical questions:
- Is this piece of content for you? If you’re a sales representative or leader seeking to elevate your sales game through trust, then yes, it absolutely is
- What problem or question are we going to help you solve? You’ll be given all the information and tools you need to start closing more deals, all through trust building
- Why are we your go-to teacher in this journey? We’ve been in your shoes, faced the challenges, and harnessed the power of trust to achieve remarkable results in sales. And now, we coach other businesses to do the same
So, whether you’ve felt the frustration of uncertain deals or aspire to become a trust-centric sales leader, join us as we embark on a journey to uncover why trust is the ultimate ingredient for sales success and how you can use this.
The Rapidly Changing Buyer
Driven largely by the rise of the internet and the wealth of information available at their fingertips, today’s buyers are more informed than ever before. They conduct thorough research before jumping on a sales call, and by the time they engage with a sales representative, they’ve already formed opinions and expectations.
This shift in buyer behaviour highlights the critical role trust plays in modern sales.
Think about it this way: when you’re about to make a significant purchase, such as a car, you’re likely to do extensive research online. You read reviews, compare prices, and seek advice from experts.
Why?
Because you want to make an informed decision, and you’re looking for trust indicators that this purchase will meet your needs and expectations.
The same principle applies to your sales prospects. They want to trust you and believe that you have their best interests at heart. They want to know that you understand their pain points, fears, and concerns, and most importantly, that you have the answers to their questions. In essence, they want to feel confident that you are the right person to guide them through the buying process.
This is where content that answers their questions and addresses their needs becomes invaluable. By providing valuable, informative content, you can establish yourself as a trustworthy authority in your field. This not only builds trust but also positions you as the go-to resource for your prospects.
In the digital age, trust is the bridge that connects you with your buyers, and building a bridge can’t be done overnight. But it can be done. Let’s explore how.
How to Build Trust
As your prospects conduct research, answering their questions through content builds trust. At RedPandas, we recommend writing and publishing three helpful articles every week.
In order to do this, sales and marketing teams need to work together. Sales needs to tell marketing what questions are coming up in their calls, and marketing needs to translate this into content and answer those questions. One effective way of doing this is by running a content brainstorming session with key marketing and sales team members.
🔎 Read: How to Run An Effective Content Brainstorming Session
Once you’ve got your content, you’ll build trust in the marketplace as ideal buyers read your articles. But if you really want to build trust, the best thing you can do is send these articles to your prospects in the sales process.
By sending relevant, helpful content, you not only educate your prospects but also position yourself as a reliable guide in their buying journey.
On top of this, here are some other things you can do to build trust in the sales process:
- Authenticity: Authenticity is your ticket to establishing trust. Be yourself, and let your true personality shine through. When you’re genuine, your prospects can sense it
- Transparency: Don’t hide information or make exaggerated claims. Instead, be open and honest about what your product or service can deliver
- Consistency: Consistency is key to building trust over time. Your prospects should experience the same level of professionalism, helpfulness, and dedication at every interaction with your brand
- Reliability: Be reliable in delivering on promises and meeting deadlines. When your prospects know they can count on you, trust deepens
- Listening: Trust is a two-way street. It’s not just about what you say; it’s also about what you hear. Take the time to actively listen to your prospects’ needs, concerns, and questions. Understand their pain points and fears. Show empathy and genuine interest in helping them find solutions. Think of it as a conversation with a close friend. You listen, empathise, and offer support. When you apply this approach in sales, your prospects feel heard and valued, leading to stronger trust
Trust Breakers: What to Avoid
These are common pitfalls that can erode trust with your prospects and clients, potentially derailing your sales efforts.
Here are some trust-breakers to be mindful of:
- Overpromising and Underdelivering: One of the quickest ways to lose trust is by making grand promises that you can’t fulfil. If you set unrealistic expectations or guarantee results that are beyond your control, you risk disappointing your clients. Instead, be honest about what you can offer and strive to exceed expectations
- Withholding Information: Transparency is a trust-building pillar we discussed earlier. On the flip side, withholding information or being evasive can shatter trust. Your prospects should feel that you’re open, straightforward, and willing to address their questions or concerns honestly. One of the best ways to do this is by writing and sharing content that answers questions around pricing
- Inconsistency: Inconsistencies in your messaging, actions, or service quality can raise red flags for your clients. Strive for a uniform and reliable customer experience
- Neglecting Communication: Effective communication is the bedrock of trust. Failing to keep your clients informed, not responding promptly to inquiries, or going silent for extended periods can breed uncertainty and mistrust. Regular communication is important to keep trust
- Pushiness and Aggressiveness: While assertiveness can be an asset in sales, crossing the line into pushiness or aggressiveness can backfire. Respect your clients’ boundaries, listen to their needs, and avoid high-pressure tactics
By understanding and actively avoiding these trust-breakers, you can safeguard the trust you’ve worked hard to build with your prospects and clients.
So, how can you get started with building trust?
So, now you know why trust is important in the sales process, how to build trust, and what to avoid when trust building.
Now, you’re going to learn a specific step-by-step method that you can start using today to build trust in your sales calls.
1. Start Recording Your Prospect’s Questions
Your prospects have questions, and those questions are your pathway to building trust.
Begin by keeping a record of the most common questions and concerns your prospects raise. Make sure you write them down somewhere.
2. Share Those Questions With Marketing
Next, you’ll want to share that list of questions with your marketing team. If you don’t have a marketing team, then move on to step 3.
When you share this list with your marketing team, make sure they understand the significance of having content that answers these questions. It’s probably a good idea to run a meeting with your team to set these expectations.
Once your marketing team understand how content they write can directly impact the sales process and lead to more revenue in the business, chances are, they’re going to start writing that content for you.
3. Create Content that Answers Buyer Questions
Armed with a list of your prospects’ questions, create valuable content that provides answers. This content can take the form of blog posts, videos, infographics, or even personalised emails.
Your goal is to be the go-to resource for information related to your industry or product.
Ideally, your marketing team should produce this content.
🔎 Read: How to Write Articles That Rank & Generate Leads
4. Start Sending That Content to Buyers
Don’t wait for your prospects to stumble upon your content. Proactively share it with them during the sales process. When they express a concern or question, send them a relevant piece of content that addresses it. This demonstrates your expertise and commitment to helping them make informed decisions.
Imagine this scenario: A prospect asks about the benefits of your product compared to competitors. Instead of launching into a sales pitch, you send them a well-crafted comparison guide that lays out the facts objectively. This approach not only answers their question but also positions you as a trustworthy advisor. It feels less salesly, gives the buyer the information they wanted, and helps you build trust, ultimately leading to more sales.
🔎 Read: What is Assignment Selling? Learn How to Send Content to Buyers in the Sales Process
When you do this, tailor your communications to each prospect’s unique needs and interests. Avoid one-size-fits-all messaging, and instead, take the time to understand their specific pain points.
For example, rather than sending every prospect the same article after the first sales call, you might choose to send a different article to each prospect, depending on their unique questions, needs and challenges.
So, What’s Next?
Trust starts with sharing content that answers your buyers questions. But, you’re going to want to make sure two things happen to bring this to life.
First, you need to align your marketing and sales teams. More often than not, marketing and sales are disjointed. Marketing sits in their ivory towers working on content they think prospects want to read while sales battles with real-life prospects on the front line, tackling objections and queries in every direction.
By aligning your marketing and sales teams, you can help give marketing the information they need to produce content that will actually make a difference, and you can help give sales the content they desperately need to build trust in the sales process.
The second thing you need to do is ensure that your marketing team is producing content around the Big 5 topics. The “Big 5” content framework, developed by Marcus Sheridan, consists of five key content categories that are most commonly searched by buyers in the buying process. These five content categories are:
- Problems: Create content that addresses common problems with your product or service. This helps in building trust and positioning your business as a helpful resource
- Costs: Share content that discusses the costs associated with your products or services. Be transparent about pricing and what customers can expect in terms of investment. Here’s an article explaining why you should transparently share pricing information on your website
- Comparisons: Whether you’re comparing software, products and services, or product/service categories, comparison articles help buyers make decisions by giving them the info they’re already looking for
- Reviews: Review anything from your product/service category, software reviews and more. Buyers are already looking for this information, so wouldn’t you rather they read it from you so that you can control the narrative?
- Best of Lists: One of the most common ways people search online when making a buying decision is by using words like “best” or “top” in their searches. There are three different types of “best of” articles that you can write about: best competitors, best in class, or best practices
Educate your marketing team on these, and make sure you have content that fits into all of these categories.
Here’s three articles that you’ll want to read next to make sure these two things happen:
