How can you get someone to trust you enough to buy your product? Sell from a position of influence. In a recent interview with ERA Real Estate 2013 IBC keynote speaker Ryan Estis, he noted your ability to shift behavior and to get a person to align with your perspective is the key to winning their trust, business and very importantly, loyalty.

This means being assertive without being too aggressive. Try Ryan’s strategies to persuade without alienating:

  • Listen: Your first step when meeting with a client is to listen. Avoid interruptions and be patient. As author Dr. Stephen Covey once wrote, “first understand then be understood.”
  •  Ask: Once you know where your client is coming from and what they need, you can customize your approach, ask meaningful questions, and use your expertise to respond from a position of intelligence and control the conversation towards a win-win outcome.
  • Be Transparent: Be open and honest. Share challenges and concerns along with solutions and achievements. Being transparent earns trust.
  • Provide Proof of Concept: Give your customer an example relevant to their situation that helps them understand the solution and provides proof of your ability to deliver. For example, put them in touch with another client who would be willing to explain their experience and results. This will validate that you are willing to help your client.
  • Confirm Commitment: At the end of every customer engagement, ask these three questions:
    • What commitment did I earn?
    • What is the timeline and next steps?
    • Did I confirm the commitment in writing and add value?
  • Share: Let your best customers do the heavy lifting for you by inviting them to share their experiences via word of mouth, especially social media. In turn, you can use social media as a platform to promote your customers’ success. Simply put, instead of focusing on how to be successful, concentrate on how you can help somebody.

I often use my blog to celebrate great work and I find that being helpful comes back to me 100 times over. My business is built on word of mouth and reputation. But before you begin to share, decide how you are going to tell your story and who will help you tell your story.

Growing your business is the goal – securing deals and creating “brand fans” who will refer you to others is the catalyst. By having the best intentions in mind, earning trust through incremental commitments -which lead to the big commitment of purchase – and communicating openly, you will become a trusted advisor. This is selling from a position of influence at its best.