They don’t know you.
They don’t trust you.
They won’t respond to your emails.
They won’t engage in a conversation with you.
They won’t meet with you!
These are some of the challenges we face from new business prospects when it is early in the sales process. Each is a hurdle we have to overcome to connect and move the sales process to the next step. When you boil it down, the problem is linked to a lack of trust and value. Simply put, you are not valued or trusted in the eyes of new business prospects.
Ouch! How can this be when you have some much going for you?
Increase Trust and Value
Here are three things to communicate to increase the levels of trust and value:
- Empathy
- Expertise
- Problem-solving
If you have these things in your arsenal and are not communicating them, it’s like not having them at all!
The Formula
This is a powerful formula that very few sellers understand. Here’s some information on each element along with why it’s important and how to do it.
Empathy
I can understand and relate to your problem.
- WHY: You demonstrate empathy so that it’s clear that you know where the prospect is coming from. Doing this helps the prospect believe that connecting with you won’t be a waste of their time.
- HOW: You can demonstrate empathy by sharing an insight or information of interest. You may share an observation related to their social media presence, stating the upcoming peak season for their business category, or perhaps a challenge related to a new competitor, marketing, or advertising.
Expertise
I’ve solved problems similar to ones you are having.
- WHY: You demonstrate expertise so the prospect gets a glimpse into your knowledge and the resources you use to help customers. Doing this gives the prospect a reason to believe you might be able to offer them value.
- HOW: You can demonstrate expertise by also sharing an insight or industry information. In this case, look for something that illustrates your knowledge of how customers engage with you. To be effective in this area, you need to continuously educate yourself and remain relevant. Don’t overwhelm yourself though—stick to a few trade publications or sources.
- Another effective way to demonstrate your expertise is to showcase an example of how you have helped your customers—connected to the insights on their business that you’ve shared.
Problem-Solving
I can develop a solution to your problem.
- WHY: You demonstrate problem-solving so that the prospect will lean in and imagine how you might be able to help them with their problems.
- HOW: Share great solutions you have developed for other clients. Focus as much on the process you followed as the results you were able to help a customer achieve.
Your Personal Brand
Does your personal brand communicate empathy, expertise, and problem-solving? If so, bravo (use it to connect with more new business prospects). If not, it might be a good idea to do some work in this area.
A great place to start is your LinkedIn profile. Here are some steps to follow and give your personal brand a boost:
- Remove all other information in your LinkedIn profile not related to empathy, expertise, and problem-solving.
- Write a bullet point example for each of the following:
- Experience you have working with certain business categories.
- An example or two (or three) of how you have helped a customer and delivered ROI.
- A specific bright idea or buyable solution you have developed.
- Inject this information into your LinkedIn profile.
Your profile will look and feel different, and new business prospects will be more likely to trust you and value spending time with you. And that’s a good thing!
