Redefining Trust In Sales

Trust has had a long run in sales. “Gotta build trust,” they say. People like to do business with people and brands they trust.

Sure. That’s true.

However, building trust is too vague. It leaves too much for interpretation. What one sales person thinks builds trust is often irritating to a prospect.

A better way to think about trust when it comes to sales and consulting is to ask the question:

Do people feel safe with me?

This is much richer.

It sets a higher bar.

Creating safety with your prospects looks like this:

1. Setting the stage in such a way that your prospects see you as an asset and not a threat.
2. Creating safe environments in which to explore their specific needs without tripping psychological reactance.
3. Providing freedom of choice instead high pressure tactics.

If these ideas are new or foreign to you, it’s because they’ve been absent in sales for so long.

Rather than spending time learning sales tactics and techniques, your time may be better spent understanding what it takes to make people feel safe with you when you’re helping them on their journey.

That’s a skill worth developing.