Cultivating The Trust Factor

Written by Robert Moment


In today’s highly competitive economy, it is difficult to maintain a significant market advantage based on your professional skills alone. Developing a trusting relationship with your clients is key to your success. No matter what business you are in,repparttar most powerful value-added you can contribute in any business relationship isrepparttar 104878 trust factor.

The trust level in Corporate America is at an all-time low, and suspicion of all things corporate is onrepparttar 104879 rise. Clients and prospects are in search of trust in their business relationships. Although people do business with other people they know and trust, building trust and credibility does not happen overnight.

What is trust? Trust can be defined as a firm belief inrepparttar 104880 honesty of another andrepparttar 104881 absence of suspicion regarding his motives or practices. The concept of trust in business dealings is simple: Build on an individual’s confidence in you and eliminate fear as an operating principle.

To cultivate trust, takerepparttar 104882 risk of being open with clients and prospects. This enables them to perceive you as a real person—one with strengths and weaknesses that come into play asrepparttar 104883 relationship develops. When trust is reciprocal, you will find that your confidence in others is rewarded by their support and reinforcement of what you also stand for as a business entity.

Letting Go of Fear

Let go of fear, which restricts your ability to relate to others. Letting go frees you of behavioral constraints that can immobilize your emotional and professional development. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being hurt, fear ofrepparttar 104884 unknown—all these are roadblocks to developing and growing a trusting relationship with clients. Let go of your fear of losing an account or not havingrepparttar 104885 right answers. Leave all your fears atrepparttar 104886 client or prospect’s doorstep.

Other critical steps in cultivating trust are knowing who you are and knowing your potential value to your clients. The relationship that forms because of this can have a tremendous impact on your sales. People don’t just buy from anyone. They buy from people they can trust. The rapport and credibility you can establish withrepparttar 104887 trust factor go a long way toward building a client’s confidence in your ability to meet his business needs.

Trust has both an active and a passive component in a business relationship. The active feeling of trust is confidence inrepparttar 104888 leadership, veracity, and reliability ofrepparttar 104889 other party, based on a track record of performance.

The passive feeling of trust isrepparttar 104890 absence of worry or suspicion. This absence is sometimes unrecognized and frequently taken for granted in our most productive relationships.

Building Trust With Care

So how do you build trust with clients? First, you need to care about them. Obviously your clients care about your knowledge, expertise, and accomplishments. However, they care even more aboutrepparttar 104891 level of concern you have for them. Successful trust building hinges on four actions: engaging, listening, framing, and committing. The trust factor can be realized once we understand these components of trust and incorporate them in our daily lives.

Brand Your Consulting Business

Written by Robert Moment


Today’s competitive marketplace for consulting services is no longer responsive torepparttar marketing strategies that worked inrepparttar 104877 past. The services you provide should speak volumes about your consulting business. Think about what happens when you hear phrases such as, “the ultimate driving machine”, “Don’t leave home without it”, and “Just do it”. Chances are good that you can immediately associate them with BMW, American Express, and Nike. These companies have mastered “brand brilliance.” Brand your consulting brilliance becauserepparttar 104878 future of your business depends on it.

There’s an old adage; “Perception is reality”. Simply stated,repparttar 104879 perception of a brand lies in its ability to influence a client’s behavior. When you have successfully branded your business, inrepparttar 104880 client’s eye there is no service inrepparttar 104881 marketplace quite like your service.

All consulting businesses should have a distinct, sustainable, and competitive advantage to differentiate their services fromrepparttar 104882 competition. I call this process of identifying your advantage “Brand Your Consulting Brilliance”.

Here are six simple steps to brand and differentiate your services inrepparttar 104883 current business environment.

1. Think client focus first.

The client’s reality: Consulting businesses exist to serve clients. Develop a client visitation calendar and schedule in-person visits. Lookrepparttar 104884 client inrepparttar 104885 eye and say, “I am here to serve you.” Follow up and follow through on all client related matters in a timely manner.

Create a client questionnaire so clients can raterepparttar 104886 performance of your services. You want them to tell you how you’re doing and what you can do to serve them better. It’s also a way to discover what challenges they are currently facing. Be relentless in your client retention efforts.

2. Discover a distinct advantage that will set you apart from competitors.

Start by articulating your “unique marketing proposition”, a statement of all ofrepparttar 104887 qualities and characteristics that set your services apart inrepparttar 104888 marketplace. Analyze your services: What skills and services do we provide that are distinctive, measurable, and add value? Which of our past successes can we leverage inrepparttar 104889 marketplace? And don’t forget to ask colleagues what they see as your competitive strengths.

Communicate these messages reinforcing your unique marketing proposition any time you have an opportunity to write or speak about your consulting firm and what you have to offer to prospective clients. 3. Generate publicity.

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