Talk About Service - Customer Service Resources - Interview with author Charles H. Green: "Trust Based Selling"

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Nov 10, 2005, 10:08

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Notes taken from an interview with author Charles Green about his new book {TRUST BASED SELLING} on the Internet radio show “The Competitive Edge is You” with host Brad Helmer – Voice America - November, 2005

"TRUST BASED SELLING: Leveraging the Value of Trust in Business Relationships and in Selling" by Charles H. Green {Book scheduled to be released early 2006}

· Trust develops very early in the sales/business relationship.
· The lack of trust bleeds through.
· Selling and being trustworthy work against each other – it’s a conflicted relationship – an oxymoron.
· Complex sales requires trust – selling a hamburger does not
· When customers are unsure, especially when confronted with an intangible product or service, trust is essential.
· Create trust by putting the customer first.
· If you can’t measure it - you can’t manage it ….complete rot…of course you can.
· Really successful salespeople don’t focus on customers on a quarterly basis. Successful salespeople instead think long term. If you want to make quarterly numbers, don’t focus on the short term…it’s a paradox but true.
· Here is a unique idea to gain trust….try writing your proposal with your customer sitting along beside you.
· Have the best interest of the customer at heart. Caring is fundamental for developing trust.
· Here are the guiding principles of trust 1) Client Focus 2) Collaboration – sell by doing not by telling 3) Medium to Long Term Focus 4) Transparancy – don’t hide anything.
· Everyone’s favorite subject is themselves – quit telling and focus on the customer. You don’t have to control every step of the selling process to be successful.
· A customer that does not trust you probably has a good reason.
· Historically, the purpose of selling has been ‘get the deal’… a recipe for control…. the fine art of separating the customer from his money
· Most people make emotional decisions fairly quickly, and then spend their time trying to rationally defend their decision. That’s why developing trust immediately is paramount.
· Limit your talking to 2 minutes.
· Get in habit of returning phone calls very fast…even if you don’t have the answer.
· Practice cultivating the art of curiosity…the focus then goes off of you and onto the customer where it should be.
· When a customer loses trust, it’s very hard to recover. You may have to walk away.
· Don’t make excuses…acknowledge and take responsibility for mistakes. If you are sincere and honest, you may get the customer back… but probably not.
· We trust people that seem to care about us.
· The focus of trust is caring.