Building Trust

[J.R.]

I recently purchased the book "High Probability Selling" and like many of the features, but it brought up a thought I would like to share.

What do you consider to be important in building trust and respect with a client and vice versa from the initial call to a client on a the books?

I have not taken any of his courses, but the author purports to have a Trust and Respect Inquiry that he worked on with 1 psychiatrist and 2 psychologists. As psychology is my other passion in life I am curious to find out about the inquiry and what all of you think?

 

[midwestbroker]

People have to have some level of trust with you to buy from you.

I have never heard anyone tell me, "I did not trust that guy, but I bought from him anyway".

Niceness can be seen as trust. The old saying if they like you, they will buy from you. People like people they can trust.

Explain what you are offering them, listen to them and answer their questions straight forward, make them laugh, and be yourself. That normally seal the deal with me. Even if they do not buy from me, I know that they would (and some have) refer others to me.

I was at a meeting yesterday and I was getting a pitch from a company offering a senior expo this July, and they wanted me to participate (and it cost money to do so of course). I was getting the basic text book I answers.

Example:
How are you going to register the people coming into the show and are you worried about a back up from taking peoples information?
"Well, so-and-so has been doing this a long time (new to Kansas City) and I am sure that there will be multiple people there taking the information. I thought of that question too but I did not ask because I have faith in him."

The problem is that I do not have faith in him. I do not know the organizer. How could I have faith in him? I want to know what they are planning if there is a long wait, because that can deter people from coming in. My question was not answered. Not, I will find out exactly how they plan on doing it, or even an I don't know. Those answers are the kind that destroy trust with me, so I do not do that to others.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

People don't trust salesmen - so don't act like one. A mistake agents make is launching into a presentation with people. Instead you should be asking questions.

 

[James]

From High Probability People:


[FONT=Verdana,]

[FONT=Verdana,]Dear James,
[FONT=Verdana,]After 32 years in sales, sales management and owning several
businesses, in 1987 I decided to retire. Six months later, I was
bored with traveling and looking for things to do with my time. So,
I got into the insurance business, specializing in group benefits.
[FONT=Verdana,]My first appointment was with the owner of a very large distributor
of home appliances. As soon as we met, I conducted a Trust and
Respect Inquiry with him, and within twenty minutes we had developed
a relationship of mutual trust and respect.
[FONT=Verdana,]Next, we reviewed the prospecting call I had made to him. He told me
that before we discussed employee benefits, he wanted to buy Key Man
Insurance on three of his senior managers. He asked me if I could
provide it.
[FONT=Verdana,]I told him that I was licensed to sell life insurance, but did not
know much about using it for business purposes. However, I offered
to have an expert in business life insurance work up a proposal, and
disclosed that I would split my commission with the expert. He said
that would be fine. He stipulated that he only wanted to buy
Term Life insurance.
[FONT=Verdana,]I found an expert and gave him all of the information he needed to
research the best term life products for the client's company. He
told me to make an appointment with the client for a week later
to present the proposal, and I did.
[FONT=Verdana,]On the way to meet the client, we agreed that he would present
the proposal and answer any questions, and I would handle the sale.
[FONT=Verdana,]Upon being shown into the owner's office, I introduced the expert. He
greeted the client with a big smile and a firm handshake. He then
admired the client's big, beautiful office and said, 'My god, is that
a Blue Marlin?' while pointing to the very big stuffed fish hanging
on the wall. 'It's the biggest one I've ever seen. Did you break the
record?'
[FONT=Verdana,]The client responded, 'Forget the damn fish and get down to
business!' [FONT=Verdana,]Oops! What happened next? Click here to find out...[/FONT]
[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,][FONT=Verdana,][FONT=Verdana,][FONT=Verdana,][FONT=Verdana,][FONT=Verdana,][FONT=Verdana,][FONT=Verdana,][FONT=Verdana,]

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

 

[Agent]

I recently purchased the book "High Probability Selling" and like many of the features, but it brought up a thought I would like to share.

What do you consider to be important in building trust and respect with a client and vice versa from the initial call to a client on a the books?

I have not taken any of his courses, but the author purports to have a Trust and Respect Inquiry that he worked on with 1 psychiatrist and 2 psychologists. As psychology is my other passion in life I am curious to find out about the inquiry and what all of you think?

I would seriously advise against doing the HPS training course (if you are considering it). I went through the training course and it is not worth the investment. Without going into to much detail, I stayed in contact with some of the life/financial services producers in my “class”, none of them found this program useful. If you call and say “this isn’t working”, then they will say “you are not doing it right”, though we all were doing just the way we were taught.

You should expect to generate 2 leads per day (at the end of the third hour). Though you may go a couple of weeks they say with nothing, while you learn the process “correctly”. And of course the training course was 8 or something weeks long. So, 10 weeks until you feel fully comfortable to sell with this system?!?! $800 bucks to learn how to cold call in a DNC envioroment....not worth it!

The method is Very robotic! And you CANNOT be robotic in this business. I would check out http://www.honestselling.com/. He has a free book you can read, he was a former employee of HPS and had a falling out because he felt that you cannot be so automaton like on the phone (and other disagreements I’m sure). You can also check out his review of the book/process at http://www.sageofselling.com/visit_the_sage/2006/02/book_review_hig.html

His free book has far more information on it then HPS and basically takes you through the steps of designing your own sales methodology…because everybody is different. He also believes that not one method of sales is the method to sell, I respect that. At HPS you’ll hear the exact opposite. He has an interesting take on the “Trust & Respect Inquiry” as well.

I know sti and johnpet spend a lot of time on the phone; johnpet specifically does cold calling now…so I would read their post for language to use on the phone etc…

What I don’t see a lot advice about on this board is referrals. Referrals, like cold calling is free however arguably much more effective.

Though an agent may have to start with cold calling initially; why one would willingly continue cold calling or buy leads for their whole career when one could transition to referral only is beyond me. To each is own I guess.

For a referral only marketing system check out www.cottonsystems.com. This cost some money but the same as what leads will cost in two months time (if your doing life mortgage leads). And of course the quality of prospect is much better than a cold call. But again, if you can't see yourself doing the cotton process then don't buy it.


Nak4Life

 

[Frank Stastny]

I think a better approach to this topic would be, "What things should you not do to avoid someone mistrusting you." This would be a much better seminar to go to.

I think John summed it up very nicely when he said: "People don't trust salesmen - (or women) so don't act like one." I know I don't, do you?

A long time ago I took a few courses I assume were similar to the one you are talking about. In my experience they are not worth the money. You can't be someone who you aren't. You aren't going to change and they are not going to change you regardless of what they say.

I don't believe that anyone can be "taught to sell". They can learn different approaches to use depending on who their prospect is, learn different closing techniques, they can be helped putting together an effective and informative presentation, but no one, who doesn't have the innate ability to sell, can't be taught to "sell". Take orders, yes, sell, no.

There is no substitute for being yourself and tailoring your presentation to your personality. This will develop trust in you because you are coming across as a "real" person. Add to that extreme product knowledge and not only will they trust you, you will be considered an expert even if you didn't travel more than 50 miles to see them.

Be yourself, be relaxed, conversational and warm and friendly. If you that it will make your prospects feel will feel warm and fuzzy. Be phoney, act very important and "official", try to be someone who you are not and they will kick you out on your butt.

Don't sell insurance, sell yourself. If they will "buy" you, they will buy anything you say is good for them.

Save your money and spend that time selling. The more time you spend infront of prospects the more comfortable you will become. That's how you get people to trust you.

Just my humble opinion.

 

[J.R.]

I would seriously advise against doing the HPS training course (if you are considering it). I went through the training course and it is not worth the investment. Without going into to much detail, I stayed in contact with some of the life/financial services producers in my “class”, none of them found this program useful. If you call and say “this isn’t working”, then they will say “you are not doing it right”, though we all were doing just the way we were taught.

You should expect to generate 2 leads per day (at the end of the third hour). Though you may go a couple of weeks they say with nothing, while you learn the process “correctly”. And of course the training course was 8 or something weeks long. So, 10 weeks until you feel fully comfortable to sell with this system?!?! $800 bucks to learn how to cold call in a DNC envioroment....not worth it!

The method is Very robotic! And you CANNOT be robotic in this business. I would check out http://www.honestselling.com/. He has a free book you can read, he was a former employee of HPS and had a falling out because he felt that you cannot be so automaton like on the phone (and other disagreements I’m sure). You can also check out his review of the book/process at http://www.sageofselling.com/visit_the_sage/2006/02/book_review_hig.html

His free book has far more information on it then HPS and basically takes you through the steps of designing your own sales methodology…because everybody is different. He also believes that not one method of sales is the method to sell, I respect that. At HPS you’ll hear the exact opposite. He has an interesting take on the “Trust & Respect Inquiry” as well.

I know sti and johnpet spend a lot of time on the phone; johnpet specifically does cold calling now…so I would read their post for language to use on the phone etc…

What I don’t see a lot advice about on this board is referrals. Referrals, like cold calling is free however arguably much more effective.

Though an agent may have to start with cold calling initially; why one would willingly continue cold calling or buy leads for their whole career when one could transition to referral only is beyond me. To each is own I guess.

For a referral only marketing system check out www.cottonsystems.com. This cost some money but the same as what leads will cost in two months time (if your doing life mortgage leads). And of course the quality of prospect is much better than a cold call. But again, if you can't see yourself doing the cotton process then don't buy it.


Nak4Life

I appreciate your input and thank you for the links. I prefer the method of reading up on various perspectives and theories before I reach a conclusion, so I am always open to new ideas and theories. I also appreciate your advice about the cotton system.

 

[J.R.]

I think a better approach to this topic would be, "What things should you not do to avoid someone mistrusting you." This would be a much better seminar to go to.

Great idea.

I don't believe that anyone can be "taught to sell". They can learn different approaches to use depending on who their prospect is, learn different closing techniques, they can be helped putting together an effective and informative presentation, but no one, who doesn't have the innate ability to sell, can't be taught to "sell". Take orders, yes, sell, no.

This is where I disagree with you. I do not think that people are born with the innate ability to sell. Personality I think is the starting point for any career followed by hard work, education and introspection. The most important quality being introspection IMHO.

There is no substitute for being yourself and tailoring your presentation to your personality. This will develop trust in you because you are coming across as a "real" person. Add to that extreme product knowledge and not only will they trust you, you will be considered an expert even if you didn't travel more than 50 miles to see them.

Does going from the bathroom to my desk to talk to "they" on the phone count for distance?

 

[Frank Stastny]

You may very well be right about learning to sell. The key word in your reply is personality. If someone does not have a natural, outgoing personality they they are going to have a long up hill battle trying to "learn" to sell.

"Does going from the bathroom to my desk to talk to "they" on the phone count for distance?

It depends on how close you have to stand to the toilet.

 

[James]

Any person can sell, let's not place expectations to high. While anyone can throw a football very few can throw like Peyton Manning, and even less can do it during a football game. Even less can do it consitently and even less can have the vision that the Peyton's, Tarketon's and Montana's have on the football field during a game. It depends upon how one would classify success. So really it isn't selling that is at question but how one identifies success. So if we were to say one has to achieve a Peyton Manning type of success to sell then yes very few can, yet that is a bit disceptive to say the least. The Uphill Battle is no more then a word game we all like to play with.

I betcha most if not all fail at sales not because of the selling abilities but other matters, such as planning. Remember it is always the simple things that catch people in the end.