How Top Sales Performers Are Building Genuine Trust In Minutes
Why trust-building is the key to closing more deals.
Customers want more than a product. They want to know that their seller has a vested interest in their success—that they won’t be left high and dry after they sign on the dotted line. What happens when risks become real problems? Will they have someone to turn to when requirements shift, scope changes, or external factors demand action?
The best way to demonstrate this level of commitment is to build trust. And in sales, the fastest way to build trust is to be human. Open your eyes and ears, listen and remember details, and treat customers like the star of the show. Right from the beginning.
Building client relationships quickly requires a granular understanding of what customers need to feel so they can take two important steps:
Overcome subconscious fears
Proceed to a conscious purchase decision
Put another way: prove to the customer that you’ll manage their risks and their trust will grow. In doing so, you’ll earn that coveted relationship.
In this blog post, we’ll show you how.
What is trust and why does it matter in sales?
Trust isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the foundation of purchase decisions. Eighty-four percent of business buyers expect their sales reps to act as trusted advisors. Without trust, customers won’t feel comfortable handing over their money, no matter how great your product is.
In sales, trust means:
Building rapport through engaging interactions
Paying attention to the customer’s situation and needs
Demonstrating market and product expertise
Being transparent about capabilities, pricing, and limitations
Providing value at every possible turn
Every time customers buy something, they assume risk. Whereas your typical consumer can return a disappointing product, your typical business buyer cannot. For the B2B buyer in particular, a poor decision about a major business purchase could raise questions about their judgment.
5 Strategies for building trust, fast
Here’s some good news. While 82% of sales pros say that relationship building is the most important part of their job, 82% also consider it the most enjoyable. The truth is, you don’t need years to build trust. What you need are deliberate actions that demonstrate credibility, reliability, and listening skills. Once these actions become second nature, you’ll not only be more successful; you’ll feel more fulfilled.
1. Treat each customer like a person, and not a commission check.
If you want things to last with someone, you get to know them. Invest time early and often toward building genuine rapport. Take time before your first meeting to peruse the buyer’s online profiles. Gong calls this 3x3 research: spend three minutes to find three relevant pieces of information. From there, come prepared to ask questions and listen more than you talk.
2. Be transparent from the start.
They say sales is a numbers game, but let’s be honest: spray and pray is not a viable strategy, especially in industries with a limited number of potential customers. Tailor your approach by understanding each client’s goals so you can be clear about what your product and service does and, more importantly, what it doesn’t. Experienced buyers know when they’re being sold a bill of goods, or when a salesperson is overpromising. Even if they don’t, they’ll be just as disappointed when the surprise finally comes (hidden costs, for example).
So if your wealth management app is still in beta, say it. Admit if it's not perfect yet, but that you value customer feedback and are continuously working to enhance the product. If your insurance offering can’t check a box that a competitor can, be honest about that too.
Instead of obfuscating, look for ways to overcome these objections without overstating what you can deliver.
3. Leverage social proof (but make it relevant).
Case studies and testimonials have the power to persuade, but only when they’re directly related to the fears or concerns your customer has. Buyers don’t want to see that other customers think you’re great; they want to see that other customers like them have had success with your solution. And they want specifics: similar markets, challenges, solutions, and desired outcomes.
Enterprise software is a great example. Software buyers need to see themselves in the social proof you share. That is: similar integration challenges, technological limitations, change management considerations, and so on. Sending these buyers generic case studies that don’t fit is moot—most buyers won’t read them.
If you don’t have suitable social proof for a particular customer profile, mark it down as an action item to discuss with the team responsible for sourcing and creating those materials within your organization.
4. Demonstrate your long-term commitment.
Being in it for the long haul means more than committing to after-sale support. It’s about proactively communicating your commitment to continuous improvement and engaging the prospect throughout that process.
That means following up and creating value after the initial purchase. By sending periodic updates, valuable resources, or information about new feature releases, you give customers peace of mind that their investment is supported.
5. Be a consistent communicator.
Yes, you need to deliver on your big promises; but you need to show up in the small ways, too. Being consistent in your messaging and following up when you say you will help demonstrate that you’re a reliable partner—and that customers can count on you in a crisis.
According to Pavilion, top sales performers are 483% more likely to update an opportunity weekly and 412% more likely to have a next step or meeting defined. But get this: a canceled meeting reduces stage progression by 18%; two canceled meetings reduces progression by 58%.
Earning trust = winning more customers
There’s no question about it. Top sales performers are 519% more likely to have the required high-quality relationships in place (Pavilion). Building trust fast requires more than just hitting basic milestones. You need to be transparent, address concerns head-on, and prove that you’re committed to the customer’s long-term success. By taking deliberate, concrete actions that demonstrate reliability, consistency, and authenticity, you can build the foundation of trust quickly and turn new customers into long-term advocates.
Of course, you’ll need all the help you can get to build that trust, especially in B2B sales. Today, 75% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free sales experience. To win deals, your trust-building capacity needs to be exceptional. Forge encourages you to follow through on your commitments with just-in-time reminders integrated with your calendar. It delivers powerful automations for topic research, the latest news, and information recall, too. Try it today →
