C. Lee Smith, CEO and Founder of SalesFuel, is an industry luminary, best-selling author, and a Certified Behavioral Analyst. Who better, then, to deliver a dynamic BIG take-away session at this year’s Niche Media Conference, with Sales Credibility at its core?
The key principle in this discipline is knowing how you are perceived. What matters is how credible your prospect thinks you are, not what you think. Credibility is not the same as trust. Credibility is a prerequisite for earning trust.
What if you sense you are starting in a place of distrust with your prospective client? It’s important to understand where that distrust comes from. It can come from such things as popular stereotypes, the desperate actions of the sales reps before you, or just general trust issues.
Before you can be persuasive, people need to believe you. That means, you need to:
- Know what you’re talking about.
- Know HOW to help.
- Have their best interest at heart.
Credibility is your currency; and you can always use more. It’s not about cold calling or bulk email campaigns.
It’s all about attracting the people you want to do business with.
If you want to…
- Open doors to the people (and information) you need to make closing sales easier
- Get the respect you deserve
- Get more calls returned and email replies
- Stand apart from every other salesperson
- Get your recommendations taken more seriously
- Get referrals and earn more repeat business
…then you need to establish that credibility first.
Lee gives tips on how to get there.
Tip 1:
People have relationships with people, not logos. Both the company and the salesperson must be perceived as credible.
Tip 2:
Salespeople no longer make the first impression on buyers – LinkedIn and Google do. In fact, 63% of decision-makers research you on Google, LinkedIn, or social media before taking a meeting with you. Make sure the internet gives you a proper introduction to your prospective client. In other words, always be mindful about what the internet says about you.
Tip 3:
Building on Tip 2, craft your LinkedIn profile for your next account, not your next employer.
Tip 4:
Never “pitch slap”. Younger buyers are 52% more likely to block a salesperson on LinkedIn if they pitch right after connecting.
PRO TIP:
What question gives away your credibility in a split second? The one you should already know the answer to: “Tell me about your business.” BE WELL-INFORMED BEFORE YOU REACH OUT.
Tip 5:
Share unbiased insight with the buyer that’s relevant to…
- Their CEO
- Their boss
- Their staff
- Their customers
…and is preferably something they don’t already know.
Tip 6:
Credibility is lost when expectations aren’t met. Credibility is won when expectations are exceeded.
Tip 7:
“If YOU say it, its bragging. If THEY say it, its proof.” Always ask for recommendations after you’ve helped enough to earn your client’s trust. Sales credibility is what accelerates or eliminates your ability to become a trusted authority and win transformational business.
Final words from Lee: Credibility is FRAGILE. It takes many actions to build it, but only one to destroy it. Always be helpful, always be credible. Always, in all ways.