There is No Change Without Credibility

by Kelly Riggs

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
Frederick Douglass

“How do I break into an account that has a strong relationship with another vendor?”

That’s a very common problem for salespeople. It could be that you’re a brand new rep with an existing company (the prospect knows the company, but doesn’t know you), or you may be representing a new company as a new or established salesperson. Either way, it can be tough to get started with a company that isn’t necessarily interested in making a change, so how are you to crack the door open?

In my experience, prospects don’t have the least bit of interest in making a change unless something happens (trigger event) or the salesperson can create interest by convincing the prospect that there is something they are missing out on. It could be personal interests and maybe it’s a family business that’s built on bad credit loans (check https://www.fatcatloans.ca/loans/bad-credit-loans-canada to learn more). There are reasons for commitment and disinterest, and it depends on the individual.

Regardless, the odds of converting that opportunity will be significantly dependent upon the prospect becoming convinced of three very important things:

1. Making a change in vendors is worth the hassle involved
2. A new solution will not only meet the company’s needs, but provides additional tangible benefits that warrant changing the status quo
3. You AND your company can, and will, provide the support and responsiveness the customer requires to implement the change

A strange, but true, fact in selling is that customers will often tolerate less-than-ideal performance from an entrenched competitor simply because of the hassles associated with changing suppliers.

Make no mistake, most people do not like change. In fact, until a prospect is convinced that the benefits of making a change outweighs the problems associated with it, a sale will almost never happen.

The critical aspect of convincing a prospect to change hinges upon your ability to build credibility. Without credibility, trust will not follow, and a prospect will not even remotely consider a change until and unless they trust you.

What that means is that everything you do – from the very first contact – should be designed to build the prospect’s credibility in you, your company, and your proposed solution.

Three Keys to Credibility

When you understand that establishing credibility is one of your primary sales objectives, you can create a sales strategy designed to do exactly that. Here are three key components to rapidly developing credibility with your prospect:

1. Avoid the sales “stereotype.”
First impressions are absolutely critical, and many salespeople dig themselves into a deep hole with stupid mistakes before they even get a chance to demonstrate the value of their products.

People don’t like salespeople for all the right reasons: they over-promise, they’re pushy, they talk too much, they’re overly concerned with a sale rather than solving a problem, and way more.

You not only need to avoid those stupid mistakes, but you should also consider these critical points:

• First, never fail to be courteous and professional. Look the part of a professional. Sound like a professional. Treat everyone you meet with respect and avoid making potentially damaging assumptions about roles, responsibilities, or who might influence a sale.
• Second, never denigrate the current provider. Criticizing the competition is shortsighted, amateurish, and extremely damaging to one’s credibility. A crafty buyer will occasionally set a trap for a salesperson by casually mentioning their displeasure with their current vendor to see how the rep responds.
• Third, spend most of your time listening instead of talking. Many salespeople lose credibility because they want to “sell, sell, sell” before they understand issues. Make that mistake and you can kiss your credibility goodbye. Instead, learn the right questions to ask that lead to a conversation.

2. Quit boasting and differentiate.

Salespeople tend to start sales conversations by telling prospects how great they are:

• “We’re No. 1.”
• “We have the best quality.”
• “Our service is the best in the industry.”
• “We’re the biggest…the best…the fastest…”

Yeah, whatever.

The problem is that every other sales rep is saying exactly the same thing, and prospects hear these baseless claims all day long. When you’re done talking about how great you are, you’ve done almost nothing to impact your credibility. Worse, you sound like every other sales rep that walks in the door.

It’s a bit like being a pretty woman in a beauty pageant. So what? Isn’t that the point?

Instead of generalities, get specific. Why should a prospect buy from you? What do you do that is unique? What differentiates your company from the competition? If you have done your homework and understand the prospect’s business, it makes it a lot easier to customize your competitive advantages to the prospect’s situation, and taking this approach builds credibility because you are focused on the prospect.

3. Bring value to every call.

One of the really bad habits that average salespeople have is the desire to “feature dump” in a sales call. They want to talk product from the jump, and they feel the distinct need to tell everything they know about the product.

But customers don’t buy product features. They buy results. They buy what the solution will do for them – solve a problem, add a capability, save some money, and so on.

So, how do you bring value to every call? Instead of describing product features, define a typical problem the prospect faces. Talk about potential solutions. Talk about the ideal solution, apart from any specific product. Give them some ideas to work with.

One proven way to establish credibility is to reference the success you (or your company) have experienced with other clients. “Third-party selling” is the process of strategically describing the successful implementation of your product/service with other customers in similar situations.

When using those “third-party” examples, you need to be specific and detailed. A good story will put your prospect in the shoes of another customer and help them to see the possibilities for your product in their own situation. It will also subliminally communicate your competence and your credentials, eliminating some of the psychological barriers to making a purchasing decision in your favor.

It also provides real value that your prospect can consider rather than simply comparing your feature list to everyone else’s.
Remember, prospects buy from the salesperson they like AND trust. Although lasting trust is developed over time, these three steps will accelerate the process of creating sales-winning credibility with your prospects.