How do you get your prospects to contact you rather than you contacting them?
You become trustworthy.
One of my previous clients contacted me the other day and asked me to lunch. We had not spoken in a few years and we were both on to new ventures. He appreciated the work we did together in the past (as did I) and he wanted to explore whether there were ways in which we could work together again. We did and we will.
Building trust is difficult to do and requires the right alignment between our intentions, words, and actions. Often times we think trust is built only in the big things, but my experience is that trust is forged in the small actions we take everyday in the context of our relationships with others. Do we call someone when we say we are going to call them, or at least let them know when we are unable to do so? Do we seek mutuality in our negotiations with other parties or seek to find leverage over them? Are we honest about what our product both can and can't do?
In my work in the world, I have been trying to make four commitments to my clients before we engage in a phone call about my sales solutions services.
I will strive to fulfill the commitments I make to you and your organization.
I will strive to help the whole of your organization, not just the parts related to my services.
I will strive to prioritize your needs above my own.
When I make a mistake, I will admit it and seek to resolve it.
But these are words on paper, which are different then actions taken in space and time. However, if our actions match our words and our intentions have others best interest in mind, in both the big but especially the small things, we can build the foundation for a trustworthy relationship between buyers and sellers.
What is one thing you do to earn the trust of others?
