HOW TO CREATE IMMEDIATE TRUST WITH PEOPLE YOU’VE JUST MET
One of the pieces of “The Core” of a business is the function of Conversion. Conversion is the process of taking a prospective client (a lead) who is interested in potentially purchasing your product or service and developing enough value and certainty. With all of the options available and the reach of marketing….this process is requiring more “touch points” than ever before.
If you are a business that does not establish “certainty” well (most businesses do not do this well) then this can be as many as 20-100 touchpoints….for those that do what we will show you in this article it is still 5-12 touchpoints.
The first barrier every business must cross in order to turn a prospective client into a client is the barrier of “certainty.
THE BIOLOGY OF “CERTAINTY”
What is certainty? Certainty is the security that we will gain the solution (pleasure) without incurring any pain. While this is an emotional response it comes into play in every transaction and buying journey. So what causes this “uncertainty”. Here is a breakdown:
- Lack of Trust: Customers need to trust the company or individual selling the product or service before making a purchase. They may not buy if they feel that the company is not reliable, doesn’t have a good reputation, or if they have had a negative experience in the past.
- Not Feeling a Connection: Customers may not buy if they don’t feel a connection to the product or service. They may not see how it fits into their lives, or they may not see the value of it. If the product or service doesn’t resonate with them, they are less likely to make a purchase.
- Not Understanding the Value or Benefits: Customers need to understand the value and benefits of the product or service before making a purchase. If they don’t understand what they will gain from buying the product or service, they are less likely to buy. From a value and benefit perspective you need to understand that the customer is reaching out for only two reasons: They have a problem that they don’t want or they have a result they want but don’t have.
- Not Having the Funds: Customers may want to buy, but they may not have the funds to make the purchase. They may need to save up for it or may need to consider financing options.
- Competitive Alternatives: Customers may have other options available to them, and if those options seem more attractive, they may not buy from you. It is essential to understand the competitive landscape and to differentiate your product or service to stand out from the competition.
SO WHAT CAN YOU AS A BUSINESS DO TO CROSS THE CERTAINTY BARRIER QUICKER?
Here are the things a business can do to help establish certainty with their customers.
- Keep your promises: We can prove in advance that we will keep our promises to our customers through the use of social proof. Then when someone does decide to buy make sure that you follow through with the client. Make sure there is a roll out process and you are monitoring it for improvements.
- Be authentic, transparent and open: Authenticity is crucial in building trust. People can usually sense when someone is being fake or insincere. Be honest about who you are, what you do, and what your intentions are. Don’t try to be someone you’re not.
Listen to the other person and try to understand their perspective. Show that you care about their feelings and experiences. Empathy helps to create a connection and shows that you value the other person.
Smile, make eye contact, and use open body language to show that you’re approachable and friendly. Positive body language can make the other person feel more comfortable and at ease.
- Show your expertise: Don’t sell! Make recommendations. Educate your staff to understand the problem your customers have and the results they look for. Make sure that you understand the problem, the solutions, your product, the benefits and value of what you offer. The application of it…. The more knowledge you have the better the certainty.
- Offer downsells. Have lower risk ways of helping people to become a customer. When we have these lower risk buy-ins we allow them to begin to build trust with us. So can you offer a smaller version, or a trial, or risk reversal, or a better payment plan?
- Show people what they are really getting in a way that they understand it and can see the full value of it. To do this break down your entire offer, break it out into a bundle to show them what they are getting and saying “YES to.
If you do these things you are going to create more trust. You are going to build more value, and you are going to get clients to buy in half the time.
To doing the next thing and mastering it!
Mike Johnston
Co Founder & Architect of Evolve
