“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful.”
– Edward R. Murrow, American Broadcast Journalist

This week I’ve been following my friend Gary Lemke’s series on Trust. Gary’s daily posts on his CRM Advocate site are insightful and thought provoking. Indeed, it got me to thinking about how trust plays into the sales process.

That third hurdle, the trust question, is often the deal breaker in the buying decision. So how do salespeople garner trust from prospects with whom they’ve never done business? The key is credibility. If the salesperson isn’t credible, the prospect will not trust enough in the sales proposition to buy.

In other words…strut your stuff! Don’t be afraid to show up in the marketplace as an expert. People want to buy from people they think are smart and people they can trust. You shouldn’t come off as a know-it-all, but you should look for ways to share your knowledge with your network. Building credibility takes time, so start this week on a plan for increasing your visibility to your client base.

As Gary points out, clients want you to have their best interests at heart, not your own. When you establish yourself as a trusted expert, the game quickly becomes a win-win for all parties involved. If you need ideas on how to boost your credibility, give us a call. We’ll help you find the tools that best suit your industry and experience and guide you on how to use them to win the game.