Credibility is essential for reaching people. It’s what makes people believe in you, which allows them to buy your products, services, ideas, or concepts.
How does one gain credibility? You’ve been working on it your whole life. It’s just that you haven’t taken the time to reflect on how you did it. You meet someone, and you do your thing. Here’s what you should be focusing on when you do your thing: respect, trust, and results.
Respect is the foundation of credibility: The prospect will respect your approach, your company, and your mannerisms. Trust is the foundation of credibility: The chance trusts what your company has to say, trusts you, and trusts you. Credibility is about delivering desired results. The prospect believes that you can provide the results he/she wants; he/she sees in your presentation that he/she will get the desired results, and/or your past performance suggests you’ll deliver the same results. You’ll lose credibility if you fail to provide results, respect, and trust.
There are many levels of credibility in business. These range from zero credibility to (1) meeting with someone too (2) getting someone else to answer your questions to (3) getting someone to listen to you to (4) getting somebody to believe in you to (5) getting someone to buy from you to (6) getting someone you can use as a resource/trustedadviser to you.
There will be different stages for different people. You are having difficulty reaching the location because you have failed to gain respect, trust, and/or results. You’ll be able to correct the ones that you have been unable with and move on to the next stage.
Credibility is not something that happens automatically. Most people don’t know how to earn respect, trust, and the results that will lead to credibility. They do what they want. If the prospect/customer does not pick up on your point, he/she will be skeptical. Let’s look at what we’ve done and not done in our lives.
Get Ready
1. What about the person who bought from you last? What was your experience?
a. Gain respect? ______________
b. Build trust? __________________________
c. Deliver results? _________________
2. List anyone who calls you for advice, or who uses your advice seriously.
A. What is the story behind your relationship with this person? Be descriptive.
You’re already doing things that have built your credibility. It’s time to recognize what works and what doesn’t.
3. Name someone who has had difficulty getting to or getting committed to you. Which part of respect did you lack? What made this person distrust you? What made this person think he/she wouldn’t get what he/she wanted?
4. Who would you most like to be on the higher stages? Names List names. I.e.
A. What can you tell him/her to respect your professionalism?
b. What can you do to make him/her trust you?
c. Did you provide something that showed you delivered results? It doesn’t need to be huge – just a report, a proposal, or an answer in the manner he requested.
Take it to the Streets.
1. You can list the people you need to help them reach the next level. You should be focusing on results, respect, and trust.
Name: // Action Required
________ from Nowhere; to Meet with you _____________________
_________ from Meet with You; to Answers questions _____________________
Answers Questions; Listen to You _________________
________ from Listens to you; to Believes you _____________________
________ from Believes you; to Buys from you _____________________
_________ from Buys from you; to Uses you as an advisor____________________
