Trust: The Currency of Successful Sales

Trust, not money, is the currency of business and life.                                         David Horsager, author The Trust Edge

The Cambridge Dictionary defines trust as “to believe that someone is good and honest and will not harm you.” If you insert the word “sales person” for “someone” in the Cambridge Dictionary definition and what happens?

According to research by HubSpot, when answering the question “Who do you consider to be trustworthy?” only 3% of respondents said sales people are trustworthy!

Building and enhancing trust with your customers is a competitive advantage.

Recently, I read the Gazelles Blog by Verne Harnish where he discovered a very interesting book written by David Horsager called The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line.

David describes “The Eight Pillars of Trust” and how they create a key advantage of speed, both inside and outside the organization, team or even countries. These directly relate to your role as a trustable sales person.

 The 8 Pillars of Trust are: Clarity, Compassion, Character, Competency, Commitment, Connection, Contribution, and Consistency.

Here’s how I see the 8 Pillars especially when building relationships in and across cultures.

Clarity – Customers want a salesperson who can clearly explain how their organization and product and support the customer goals so they can perform well.“People trust the clear and mistrust or distrust the ambiguous,” says Horsager.

Compassion – John Maxwell says “People don’t people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Remember to touch the heart before you ask for the hands.” Customers buy from people they like. Our research shows that sales people who acknowledge and show concern/compassion for customer issues and needs double their chances of closing the sale.

Character–Having integrity in all your customer relationships. “I am who I am, no matter where I am or who I am with” says Dr. Maxwell about integrity and character. The best way to show integrity in sales situations? Under promise and over deliver! And…if you can’t meet a promise, call the customer and explain.

Competency -  Horsager summarizes it as "people have confidence in those who stay fresh, relevant, and capable."Successful sales people are well prepared and knowledgeable of the own product, but the customer’s industry, market, competitors and their company. Sales people who are trusted are also skillful communicators who listen well.

Connection - "People want to follow, buy from, and be around friends" writes Horsager. Verne notes that “competence and connection are reinforced.”We all would rather be serviced by a sales person that is likeable, trustworthy and can build healthy relationships. Having good EQ to be able to connect to different personalities is crucial.

Commitment – We would much rather collaborate with sales people who are committed to supporting our goals and objectives, and helping us solve our problems beyond the close.“Stick with it through adversity is true commitment. Followers trusted General Patton, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Jesus, and George Washington because they saw their commitment. They lived a life of sacrifice for the greater good.”

Contribution – “Few things build trust quicker than actual results. Be a contributor who delivers real results,” says Horsager.  We want to work with or be served by sales people who deliver or exceed on what they promise to do.

Consistency – Defined by Horsager as “ little things done consistently make for leaders being followed, increased sales and retention, and a higher level of trust. Consistency is the way brands are built and character is revealed.” Think about McDonald’s French fries, or the ATM machine. We trust people and companies who deliver consistent results. Consistency builds trust for the next sale.

Paraphrasing Horsager, trust has the ability to accelerate success or destroy any sales relationship. The lower the trust, the more time every­thing takes, the more everything costs, and the lower the loyalty of everyone involved. However, greater trust brings superior innova­tion, creativity, freedom, morale, and productivity.It shortens sales cycles and leads to repeat business.

Practice the 8 Pillars of Trust as a sales or service person and experience the healthy sales results you can achieve with your customers!

Have a “Trust Building” 2019!

Michael J Griffin

Founder ELAvate

Trusted Business Advisor

Sales Trainer since 1980