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Connect and build trust with your customers (Part 2)



3.  Give to get. Always go above and beyond

To build trust, you must always give first. Sometimes you need to give some information about yourself first or do something for them without any strings attached or provide them information about a competitor you respect. Whatever it is, you must show that you are there to go above and beyond and not talking to them just to get another deal or order from them.





Though you may run a business or are a salesperson, you are also a customer somewhere else right? Perhaps you purchased a mobile phone, or you ate at a restaurant or bought car insurance or even had a plumber fix something at home? What made you like them or trust them? Think of any experience where you felt great when you yourself were a customer for some business. You’ll straight away realize that that person (or business) made you feel at ease, spoke with you nicely and also went above and beyond to help you. That is exactly what matters!





Now, there are times when you feel that you are giving and giving... and your customer doesn’t buy or do anything. Every one of us has been in this situation. And to be honest, that just means that they were not ready to buy from you at that time. Either they really didn’t have a need, or that their interest was not compelling enough or that the information you provided was not making it easy for them. Again, the mantra is ‘Give to get’! You can openly tell them how you yourself hesitated before or that you struggled personally while making a large purchase even when you were not sure. And, while you give them your story and your truth, ask them why they are hesitating and if there is something missing or if they are just not looking to buy now. Calling their attention to their own hesitation almost always gets you the right answer from them.

4.  Take notes and pay 100% attention to what they say

People feel special when you remember details that they’ve told you about their life and even more so when you follow up. And this IS one of the most important ways to build trust with customers. Jot down some key points about someone after you've met them so that you won't forget. If you are not a fast typist or writer, record that phone call by using something like Salesibyl (of course, by asking them first for permission to record). And if the customer were talking to you physically, you can literally pull out a notepad and start writing as they are talking.

Here’s something to convince you why taking notes is super important. When you say something to someone or when you ask for help, how important is your effort to you?
And if you find the other person not paying attention or getting distracted or forgetting what you said, would you trust what they say?


Taking notes is one simple thing that anyone can do! And tools like Salesibyl let you take notes right into the call! You don’t need a Harvard MBA for it nor do you need some training course. If you are still not convinced or feel too lazy, here are some resources for you to look at: How to take notes in a meeting, The Art of taking notes during sales calls

You may wonder how to pay 100% attention to your customer when you have to take notes. Recording calls or meetings is a great way to pay 100% attention to what your customer is saying and watching their body language (or tone or emotional responses). Whether it is a video meeting or a formal sales call or even just a casual conversation, we learn a lot more about the other person when we are not distracted by things. Even better if you have a transcription of your entire call from which you can document action items and set a reminder for yourself to follow up with the customer. Feel free to check out a an all-in-one communications tool like Salesibyl, where you can do all of this and more.

Finally, and to legally protect yourself, it is always good to seek consent from the other party for recording calls. That doesn’t mean that you cannot. If you are worried about asking for permission for recording calls with customers, just say one of these at the beginning of the meeting:

  • "Do you mind if I record this call so I can focus on the conversation and check my notes later?"
  • "We'll only use this call internally for training and will also be happy to send it to you to share internally with others to get them up to speed."
  Friday, October 15, 2021       Blog