Sometimes selling to a stranger becomes more strained than it needs to be. There’s too much talking and not enough action. Talking about what you do rather than starting to work together can erode the sales cycle.
One of the ways to build trust quickly is to work on a small contained project first. The best types of projects are where you can bring high value quickly.
You may even give away this first engagement free. Ideally, it would be low cost and high impact. This allows your new prospect to experience your work and how you approach problems.
Furthermore, you can reduce the perceived risk. As they see you deliver in a short time on something tangible then trust can grow.
I have several types of projects I work on with customers that are concrete and bring value quickly for low cost. If a person wants to start a business, I help them understand their strengths and how they fit or do not fit as an entrepreneur or salesperson with a strengths test.
If someone has pain around their productivity and want to get clear quickly and gain peace of mind, I work with them through a ZeroInbox productivity process.
The idea is to have something that is easy to say, “Yes,” to and get going on working together. The customer can then see for themselves how you do business, how you communicate and whether you deliver. There’s real proof instead of the feeling of selling which comes with lots of words and no action.
Make it a no-brainer and guarantee it. It would be foolish to not engage in your service this way.
While it is tempting to shoot for the moon on your deals, it can erode trust and increase tension in the buying process. There’s too much perceived risk.
When you work with someone on a small scale, you get to call them a customer. They bought something from you. Now the job is less about selling to a stranger and more about building a friendship.
What do you think your small offer could be?
One thought on “Do a Small Project and Build Trust”