How to build trust faster with prospects & win more satisfying sales

How to build trust faster with prospects & win more satisfying sales

When you first meet a prospect, they don’t know you and will likely have their guard up while discussing their needs. An indication of this is when you ask them how much they have to spend and all you get is silence, or “I have no idea”.

So your first intention should be to build a relationship with a client and that means having their best interests at heart. In this article, I will discuss how you can make a potential client trust you faster so even if your quote is more expensive than others, they trust you will deliver what they want.

 

Don’t be in a hurry
The first step is to ensure you have more than enough time to spend with clients. They will be spending a large amount of money and choosing the right landscaper for them is important. Limiting your time is not a good strategy as you will rush through the meeting and leave an empty impression. If you always spend around 1 hour in a meeting, allow 2 hours in your calendar, so you don’t rush (it doesn’t mean you have to spend the full 2 hours with them).

Long-term relationship
Think about this potential client as a long-term relationship. You may build a garden for them once, but they will potentially mention and recommend your company in years to come to friends, associates and neighbours. By viewing a client as a long-term supporter of your business, they will sense you care and want to deliver a great result they love.

So contrary to what most people think, the most powerful way to be in control of a conversation is not having the gift of the gab or talking your prospect into submission. Be understanding, guide the conversation with questions, and listen while looking at the prospect. It also means being responsive to their needs and being willing to go the extra mile to help them achieve their goals.

Always behave at all times in an ethical way
Demonstrate through your words and actions that you have the best interests of the client at heart in every decision they make. This may mean turning away business, suggesting better alternative solutions or challenging a client’s misconceptions rather than brushing them under the carpet. Always act for the long-term, rather than the short-term.

Being vulnerable (it’s not what you think it means in this context)
Allowing yourself to be mildly vulnerable early in the relationship enables the prospect to relax and feel more comfortable with you. An example would be if you didn’t have an answer for a question they have and needed to come back with an answer. Vulnerability is not about being weak and emotional, it’s about being authentic, natural and human. When you communicate this way, it sets the tone for the client and allows you both to be more open with one another and build trust much faster.

Be sure to discover the prospect’s pain points
This is a critical part of the sales meeting because everyone will have some pain points that need to be discovered and addressed. Take time finding out the major reasons why the prospect wants to change their garden as the major emotional points when addressed and included in your solutions will help create a powerful connection.

Commitment
Ensure that if you give the prospect a time to meet, be there on time. This should also apply to plans and quotes, future meetings, and promising to research a product and be in touch by a set date. Delivering on what you have promised will build trust and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

 

Don’t view a sale as a quick short-term filler that boosts your bottom line. Instead, see the potential client as a long-term relationship. If you approach each meeting (once qualified) with authenticity while keeping the client’s best interests at heart, trust and the relationship should develop into a satisfying experience.



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