In my new book A Mind For Sales, I discuss how important it is for you to have the right mindset, but it’s not only about your mindset, it also has to do with the customer’s mindset. What is the level of trust you have with your customer, and what is the level of trust they have with you?
The Importance of Trust in Sales:
The easiest way to command a higher price and close more deals is by making trust the central piece of who you are. This is especially true when you play the long-game. I believe this 100%, and have seen it played out with many people, including myself. There will always be those that try to take shortcuts, who feel trust can be put on the side and isn’t always necessary. Let me tell you that that’s being incredibly short-minded.
Trust is currency, and shows up in sales all the time. The higher the degree of trust, the less the need to negotiate. Try closing a sale where the two parties don’t trust each other, and you’ll see lots of negotiations. In the end, you’ll see deals that don’t close the way you want them to. You won’t see any deals with potential to allow you to create the next one. The only good sale is one that leads to the next sale. What percentage of your sales are a result of a previous sale? Don’t ever think that you can make a sale as a single transaction. Every sale is an action, and physics do apply when it comes to sales: for every action, there is a reaction.
Trust is the barometer you use to determine your ability to close the sale and the speed and yes, even the price. Your job is to ensure trust is on display, not as something you show but as something you live. When you demonstrate trust, you’ll be amazed at how it reflects back at you. Trust does not mean you roll over, play dead, and give into the customer. Trust means you believe in what you say and what you do. This includes even having to push back on the customer, if the need arises. Trust and confidence compliment each other. Yes, you can have a confident person who is not trustworthy; that is called a self-centered person or better yet, a narcissist. However, when you actively demonstrate trust and have confidence, it’s amazing the doors that will open for you.
In addition, when you exhibit trust, you’ll begin to see how it brings trust out in others. It is a key reason why I believe that when you sell with integrity, you will get customers who have integrity. When you intentionally sell with integrity, it is incredible how you’ll gain customers who have integrity. I am stunned at how quickly this plays out in the marketplace. On many occasions, I have seen companies struggle to find good customers and almost all of the time, the problem is because they’re not good either. Integrity and trust play well together. Recently, I worked with a company in a highly competitive industry, an industry where margins are extremely compressed yet this company enjoys great customers. Their customers are loyal and they pay more – they are the epitome of a great customer. These customers know lower priced deals are available; however, they stay because of the culture of trust that’s been established. All in all, this culture allows them to work together to achieve greater outcomes.
Sales is not about manipulation. Sales is about helping others see and achieve what they didn’t think was possible. Trust is currency, trust is sales, and the longer I’m in sales, the more I believe this. Your goal today and everyday is to do everything with trust. Then at the end of the day, ask yourself if you fulfilled that commitment. If you can’t fulfill that commitment to yourself, why should you expect anyone else to fill it for you? Trust is a two-way street, and it starts with you. If you have customers with trust issues, then take a hard look at you and your company and ask yourself: is trust the product or is trust an afterthought?
If you have not read A Mind For Sales, I suggest you get a copy of it now. I wrote the book for one simple reason – to help you become the salesperson you know you’re capable of being. If you think it’s a mindset book, you’re wrong but you’re also right. The book is full of proven strategies used by salespeople and leaders each day. You’ll read about companies of all types and how they have created a mind for sales culture, as well as the impact it’s having on their top-line sales and bottom-line profit. Go get it and read it here.
Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Result
