79% of business buyers<\/a> believe it\u2019s critical to work with a salesperson they can trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf\n a prospective customer perceives your interactions as less than \nfavorable, they\u2019ll likely doubt what you have to say. If they see you as\n lacking confidence in your product or service, they probably won\u2019t buy \nfrom you, no matter what anyone else says. If they doubt your \ntrustworthiness because you fail to make eye contact, it\u2019s doubtful \nthey\u2019ll accept your suggestions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perception is reality. Influence \ndoesn\u2019t come from your intentions but from how people experience you. \nTrust, credibility and authenticity move people to act. Those \ncharacteristics come from consistent behavior in every interaction. How \nyou communicate either enhances your influence or takes away from it. If\n you want to earn more credibility and trust to close more sales, start \nwith your communication skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Be self-aware.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We\n typically perceive ourselves differently than others do. When it comes \nto our communication skills, we don\u2019t know what we don\u2019t know. You\u2019re \nprobably unaware of how your prospects see and hear you. Self-awareness \nhelps you understand what you need to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To gain awareness, \nseek feedback from someone you trust. A leader, co-worker, client or \npeer can shed light on areas of opportunity. Feedback will provide you a\n course of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Be consistent.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To\n earn trust, we must be consistent in two areas. First, your message and\n delivery must be in sync. Second, your communication must be consistent\n Monday to Monday, every day and in every interaction. When prospects \nlearn what they can expect from you in every interaction, trust grows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Record\n yourself practicing your sales pitch. Evaluate whether your words match\n your behavior. Consider your body language, and tune into your choice \nof words. Ensure how you deliver your message so it matches what you \nsay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Build your reputation.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your\n reputation is what others can expect from you. It\u2019s the one thing that \nprecedes you and affects your influence before you ever say a single \nword. Your reputation comes from how others perceive your character. \nThey are quick to share it, setting a baseline expectation for others \nwho have yet to meet you. How they define you determines how much others\n will trust you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ask. This is another way feedback helps. Inquire \nwith customers you\u2019ve previously worked with. Better yet, have a \nconversation with a former prospect whose business you lost. Seek to \nunderstand their motivation and understand where you can improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Be flexible.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The\n ability to adapt your message to meet your listeners\u2019 needs is crucial \nto your influence. Influence grows when you stop formulating your \nthoughts long enough to listen to what others have to say. When you hear\n your listeners\u2019 needs, you can adapt your message in a way that \nbenefits them. Trust builds as they see you place their needs ahead of \nyour desire for a sale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Listen with intent. Do less talking and \nmore listening. Tune into what your prospects have to say, what their \nconcerns are and what they are seeking. This helps you understand how to\n fine-tune your message to better meet their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bottom line<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When\n a connection is established on an emotional level, impact is made. It \ngives our message momentum and allows us to make an impact even when we \naren\u2019t physically there. This emotional connection matters because it \nmoves the relationship from a transactional place to one of trust and \ncredibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Impact comes from a genuine connection with others \nwhen we honor them by listening and prioritizing their needs. When we \nmake our prospects\u2019 needs more important than our sale, we create a \nconnection that makes a lasting, trustworthy impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start by \nacknowledging your own limits, and have the courage to evaluate your \ncurrent behavior. Once you realize the importance of influence in your \nsales process, you can work to improve yours. Anyone can be influential \nif they are willing to do the work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Have you ever tried to close a sale, only to hear the disappointing news that the prospect chose to go elsewhere? You know your product and services are better than your competition. You know your organization is more stable and capable of a smooth implementation. But you can\u2019t figure out what happened or why they didn\u2019t take your offer. It\u2019s because you lacked influence. Here are the steps you should take to remedy that. 1. Become an influencer. Some people believe…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emengold.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2929"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emengold.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emengold.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emengold.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emengold.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.emengold.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emengold.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emengold.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emengold.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emengold.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}