3 Tips for Building Trust and Increasing Sales

Posted on May 07, 2013 by Kevin Jamison, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

How many times has it happened to you? You walk through the doors of a place of business and here he comes – perfectly groomed with a smile planted across his face in greeting. Within two minutes he has talked non-stop and promised you everything, including the stars if you purchase his product. You lift and eyebrow, and think to yourself… “Yeah, right!”

The distrust between consumer and salesman is a longstanding feeling. After all, you know they are wanting to make a buck off your purchase. Sure, you don’t mind them making a few dollars… everybody has to make a living… but gee, it would be nice if they were at least a little concerned about what your needs are too!

Let’s face it… customers aren’t likely to buy from you unless they feel confident that you will deliver. There are a few easy steps that you can take to give them the confidence they need to take the plunge.

1. Let Previous Customers Make The Claim
The proof is in the pudding… No one can say that you deliver and make good on your promises like a satisfied customer. It pays to use customer testimonials. Now, we’re not talking about blindly pasting testimonials everywhere… a little business sense and organization will be helpful in making the most of them.

Choose testimonials that are exact and talk about specific aspects of your business. “Thank you so much for your hard work!” is wonderful, but “Thank you for spending 2 hours with me yesterday. Your personal attention is greatly appreciated.” says a lot more. Yeah, the reader knows that you are willing to take whatever time it takes to help them through the purchasing process.

Be sure to get your customer’s permission to use their testimonial as part of your advertising campaign. While you’re at it, get as much personal information about them as you can. Their occupation, city, etc., create a more realistic appeal to their testimony.

2. Be Specific In Your Claims
Specific claims are more believable than vague, generic brags. Order today! It’s Fast, Easy and Cheap! Sounds much better when you say… Order Today! Take 2 Minutes to Fill Out Our 7 Step Order Form and Save 20% on Your Purchase!

Specific numbers don’t always come out even. In fact, readers tend to believe numbers that have decimals are more accurate than whole numbers… even if the real number is exactly a whole number!

3. Be Realistic
Don’t alienate customers with claims that sound too good to be true. Yeah, we all know the old saying that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Unrealistic claims steal your credibility and leave the customers with a raised eyebrow.

Think of it this way… what if you do understate the benefits? When your customer finds out the truth, he’ll just be that much more satisfied! I suggest that you under promise and over deliver to create the greatest customer satisfaction.

Customers who believe in you aren’t afraid to buy from you. That means higher sales numbers and greater profit.

What other suggestions can you share for building trust?