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Selling often means talking to people who have never heard of you. You might think of these as “cold reads,” but this is a bit impersonal. After all, they are very likely to become your best customers over time.
The problem is reliability. Without it, customers won’t accept your sales pitch. You can’t blame them for their cynical attitude either. The dangers of over-promising sales are well known to the general public. And once someone commits to a deal, it can be awkward or embarrassing to walk away from it. For both of you!
Related: 3 steps to go from “unknown” to “must have” in your customer acquisition process
If reliability is so important, how do you build it?
When it comes to household names, credibility is (most of the time) a given. But if you run a startup or sell a new product or service, you have to earn it. In the past, a persuasive advertising campaign may have been enough, but in the Internet age, you need to do much more to be taken seriously.
Today, customers exercise all the power. You can research the market online, read reviews, and share your experiences with other shoppers. To close the credibility gap, you need to stand out and be convincing. Meet your customers where they are and bring something exciting to the table. It’s an offer that’s impossible to ignore or refuse.
I’ll explain in a moment, but first…
word of warning
The mother of trust is trust.
It’s simple: if people don’t trust you, you can’t be trusted. Solve your potential customer’s problem first. Offer something of value, even if it’s just your time or useful news or information.
Think more about reducing sales help.
If you manage to stand out and be persuasive – and I’m sure you will if you follow my advice – it will help you above all else. Because when you’re helpful, it’s easier to earn someone’s trust, and when someone trusts you, they’re more likely to buy when recommended.
Related: 9 Sales and Marketing Tips for Startups
Now… how to get that recommendation
Referrals are one of the most successful ways to grow your business.
Visible means:
- Your content appears when customers search for answers to their problems.
- Have an active presence on every channel your prospects use.
- Your customers are writing reviews and testimonials about you.
- Featured in relevant news publications.
- You’re reviewed, featured, and discussed by industry influencers.
Being persuasive means:
- You consistently write content that is meaningful, relevant, and useful.
- You’ve built a large social media audience that shares your content regularly.
- Your products and services are highly praised by customers and influencers.
- Your story has been published in reputable industry and consumer publications.
- You’re endorsed by top influencers and industry experts.
You can’t expect to accomplish all of these things before you start selling, but you should at least work on them. Let’s take a look at how these areas impact the reliability gap.
Related: I see great teams make business-destroying mistakes all the time. Here’s what’s wrong (and how to fix it):
Closing the reliability gap
Create content that your customers care about.
Sales is about getting inside the customer’s head. what do they want? need? What problems and questions do they have? Customers respond to meaningful, relevant, and helpful content that improves their lives, not generic sales messages.
- Meaningful content is well-researched and typically educates your customers with new information or a unique take on an old topic.
- Related content contains information that is of interest to your readers. It can be personalized, shown on specific media, and delivered when you need it most.
- Helpful content answers questions, solves problems, or provides practical advice. Not to sell, but to educate, inform, and delight in some way.
Your content must meet all of these criteria. You need to do your homework on this. Don’t create content yourself. think Your customers will be happy, but research and test what works. Track views and other engagement metrics.
Become an omnichannel seller.
Like it or not, social media has changed the way we communicate. As of 2021, almost 80% of the U.S. population has a social media profile, so you should join the crowd and get involved on social media.
Just signing up is not enough. Become an active member of the community. Create engaging content, share other people’s content, comment on posts, and reply to people commenting on your posts. It’s about building a community, a following. And yes, this is a full-time job, so it’s a good idea to hire someone to do this (but social media is a treasure trove of customer data, so it’s a good idea to check it regularly) Masu).
Building a social media community isn’t difficult, but it does require persistence. Post regularly, follow and imitate influencers, and make sure your channels are staffed and responsive. Think of social channels as tributaries that flow into your sales funnel. If the reaction is sluggish, the water will dry up and the funnel will flow slowly.
Related: How to Build Confidence as a Young Entrepreneur
Please check reviews and testimonials.
Your first customer is your biggest champion.They are Love Express your opinion and have a say in how your business is run. Especially in the early stages when you can have more impact. In many ways, they are the ones developing your business, not you.
Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews and testimonials. It makes customers feel valued. You can also offer a small reward in return. Even a simple discount is enough. Best of all, we make it easy to provide feedback. Link to review sites, ask them what they think about you, and encourage them to be honest without being influenced.
Testimonials are the gold standard of reviews. They tell a story, humanize your business, and contextualize your offer. If you can convince a journalist to demo your product or service, even better, as a neutral third party adds an extra layer of credibility (more on this later).
Make your story newsworthy
Today’s websites feature a number of “Featured in/Seen…” sections filled with press logos and links. This is a common credibility tactic that exploits the cognitive biases of current trends and authorities. Basically, people are more likely to follow crowds and authorities. In this case, it is possible to wall street journal Or TechCrunch.
People believe that reputable publications have strict editorial standards. True or not, their brand speaks volumes. A short article or press release may earn you the right to have their name added to your website or brochure. For many customers, this is a stamp of approval, and the more stamps you have, the narrower the credibility gap.
Find publications relevant to your industry and pitch your story. It could be about your mission, technology, or people. Read the publications and decide what you find newsworthy. Consider your audience and use your own experience to help them. It may simply be a unique angle on an old problem.
If all else fails, a PR agency with the right contacts can do this for you. It’s harder to control the content, but it’s easier to publish it this way if you can’t get enough attention on your own.
Find an influencer who vouches for you
The right influencer can also help you build credibility instantly. It could be a leading thinker or a social media influencer, someone with enough influence to sway opinion in your favor. If you’re lucky, someone will find it for you, but most of the time you’ll have to work hard to find it yourself.
First, make a list of everyone who might be interested in what you do. Next, review the influencer’s audience and evaluate the list to ensure it matches your business and ideal customer profile. Finally, devise a strategy to involve them.
Don’t send messages or emails asking people to talk about you. Influencers are more likely to ignore you unless you are paying them to promote you. Instead, become part of their community. Follow them. Please join the discussion. If you participate and participate, you will eventually earn the right to ask for something in return.
If you have the budget, you can also hire influencers as advisors. This is especially common in the technology industry, where trendsetters tend to be “techpreneurs” or programmers. For example, with SaaS, all you need to validate your business may be a nod from a top technical expert.
If you’ve read this far, you may be feeling overwhelmed. please do not worry. This is not intended to be a checklist. You’ll probably already be doing some of these things to varying degrees. Use these principles as the basis for your own reliability action plan, starting today. If you commit to it, the gap will no longer exist and you will be the bridge to increased sales.
Related: 10 Ways to Become an Authentic Entrepreneur and Market Your Best Self
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