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How to Build Trust with a Sales Prospect
Blog / For Sales Pros / Apr 25, 2016 / Posted by Roy Osing / 5961

How to Build Trust with a Sales Prospect

Sales is a tough profession; it is not intended for the faint of heart. I compare it to the “glass ceiling” that challenges very talented and accomplished women to succeed in today’s business environment. It’s the sales stigma that works against most salespeople trying to advance an opportunity with a new sales prospect.

“Slick”, “sleazy”, “pushy”, “insensitive” and “arrogant” are often used to describe the way salespeople do their job and “force” the prospect to buy what they are flogging.

It’s not a fair characteristic but it’s real.

It’s almost impossible to sell a prospect anything when they have this bias; when they are predisposed to believing that you really have no interest in their problems, needs and desires and that all you want to do is get the sale and move on to another prospect with the end game of making your bonus.

In sales, no trust = no sale.

Here’s some basic rules to follow to establish “newbie trust”. Remember there is absolutely no reason the newbie prospect should even give you the time of day, much less buy something from you.

Here are my proven trust-building actions.

  1. Accept that every newbie thinks you have a hidden agenda; all you want to do is make a sale and move on. Factor this reality into your attitude, demeanor and body language.
  2. Have a medium to long term goal in mind. Choose to maximize sales from this prospect over the long term. Your monthly quota will beget actions that will confirm to the prospect that indeed you are a flogger. Interested only in what YOU can get from the engagement.
  3. Ask lots of questions in your first encounter. Pitch your stuff only as an answer to a question THEY pose. Stay off your soapbox or you will lose your audience as they run for cover.
  4. Discover something personal about them. I’m not saying be invasive; simply listen for clues as to who they are and what they value. AND REMEMBER THEM.
  5. Make notes. Lots of notes. Ask for permission and ensure they see you as a copious note taker. It shows that you care about what they have to say.
  6. Forget about making a sale in your first encounter. The first conversation with a prospect should be about earning the right for a second conversation. As trust builds the number of potential conversations increases as well. And then… the sale!

Prospects need time. Rush it and you’re done. Push it and you’re done.

Take time and you just might earn the right to their business for more than one transaction.

About Author

Roy Osing is a former president, CMO and entrepreneur with over 40 years of successful and unmatched executive leadership experience in every aspect of business. As President of a major data and internet company, his leadership and audacious ‘unheard-of ways’ took the company from its early stage to $1 Billion in annual sales. He is a resolute blogger, keen content marketer, dedicated teacher and mentor to young professionals. As an accomplished business advisor, he is the author of the no-nonsense book series ‘BE DiFFERENT or be dead.’ He is devoted to inspiring leaders, entrepreneurs and organizations to stand apart from the average boring crowd and achieve their true potential.

Author's Publications on Amazon

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BE DiFFERENT or be dead: The Audacious ‘Unheard-of Ways’ I Took a Startup TO A BILLION IN SALES provides practical and proven ways for organizations and professionals to be unique, stand out from their competition in a compelling, relevant way and achieve staggering success.
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Selected by Soundview Executive Book Summaries as one of the top business books in the USA. The Challenge for any Business Leader is to harness the energy from all parts of their organization to work in unison to win in their market. In practical and…
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