What are the most effective ways to demonstrate your value proposition and credibility?

I think too many sales people forget this fundamental step. We start the conversation with, "I've got a screwdriver, so I can fix your problem. So let me tell you about how I can fix your problem." All the while we've never figured out if they even consider their "problem" to actually be something that needs to be fixed. Start out with what's important in their lives, and see where that gets you.

An example I've seen in the automotive industry as a sales person, are you just trying to bring the customer in for a sale or are you actually listening to their wants and needs. When potential buyers feel heard and understood, they are more likely to purchase.

The step before the first step is self discovery and self awareness. It is critical that you understand your own biases and how your personal and professional experiences may impact the way you approach and engage with prospects and clients. Without this awareness you may unintentionally be setting yourself and those whose trust you are trying to earn up for failure. Knowing your areas of strength and weakness, the times of the day you are most effective and the work you are most inspired to do are a few gems that will keep you from being bored, over promising and underdelivering or working with people who are just not a good fit for you.

With existing clients this is certainly true. However, when dealing with prospects, I'd suggest you're better off being laser focused on 3-5 problems that you (your company) fixes. You then use this as the basis for your prospecting. Most salespeople don't actually understand why they are prospecting, they think it's to get a meeting or discover a need. Those are the outcomes of prospecting. The purpose of it is to discover whether or not a decision maker is experiencing a problem you fix.

Social media is a huge tool you can utilize to market yourself. Saying you are different is one thing but showing it is another. Nowadays, clients are not only looking at google reviews, but looking at creditability on your social media profile. By sharing testimonials and customer experiences, you are giving the community an inside scoop of what the benefit of working with you would be like. What is your VIP experience?

One word, AUTHENTICITY. You will save yourself a lot of time, effort and unnecessary struggle if you communicate your value from a place of genuine feeling, caring and understanding. Trust is built with truth. Not padded skill sets. Not embellished benefits. Not overpromised services. Not exaggerated offerings. Not made up stories. People see through a fake approach so don't build your castle on quicksand.

A lot of clients aren't ready to pull the trigger when buying on the first try. Follow up is crucial. Not only will you gain their trust but ultimately their business when they are ready. Once you earn their business, the likelihood of receiving referrals after is extremely high. Further feeding your funnel of clients and growing your business.

Follow up and follow through requires both parties to mutually agree and take action on next steps. Designing a relationship together and collaborating to ensure the agreed upon outcomes are achieved isn't a one way street. If your client communications go unresponded to and calls go unanswered you may need to fine tune the conversation around a comfortable cadence for your client, their preferred method of communication and what you can expect in return for your efforts. Proactive conversations about expectations saves hard feelings and miscommunication throughout the relationship.

The majority of people when given multiple options buy from the person they like. Building a relationship with the client is key.

I feel really strongly that showing up in an authentic and human way ensures that you are attracting the right clients and prospects as well. If you're putting up some sort of perfectly polished professional mask, the people who resonate most with that won't generally be your ideal client fit. The relationship will never be as deeply served and productive as a relationship built on a genuine human connection.

But don't fall into the trap of believing you have to be liked in order to sell. You do have to be trusted though and the best way to build trust is through being honest. That may sometimes require you to tell a prospect that you can't help them.