The right way to build trust is through empathy. Earning trust seems really tricky because everyone has their guard up, and they don’t want to be sold something.
Ask questions, and understand what issues the client is facing. In order for you to engender, or create, trust you have to understand their issues. Ask about them, listen and give experiential advice around how to address those problems.
Let the client know that other people have the same problems. That opens up the world, so that the discussion changes from, “Would you please hire us?” to “Hey, we’re working together to solve your problem.” If we agree on the methodology and we agree on the benefits of that problem being solved, then it’s pretty easy to hire us.
Get out of your own way. The client doesn’t care that you want to close this sale. They don’t care that you’ve got payroll due in four days, and you don’t have any money. What they care about is a solution to their problem.
List yourself as a partner in solving their problems. Trust makes the sales process easier. You have taken on their concerns as your own, and it’s really hard not to trust somebody who’s got your best interest at heart.
