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Guest post by: Stephanie Ward Become an Author

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As a business owner you’ve probably heard about three criteria people use when deciding to do business with you. Consciously, or subconsciously, people do business with people they know, like, and trust.

Of course you must deliver a quality product or service but that’s not enough. Options are abundant so when it comes down to making a choice, how a person feels about you can make the difference between choosing your company and choosing someone else.

So how do you become known, liked, and trusted? It’s all about being authentic and sincere. You can’t fake this stuff so don’t even try. Make it a habit to keep these three factors in mind as you work in, and on, your business.

If you’re a solopreneur then it’s all about you and who you are. If your business has employees then they are included as well and each employee can directly impact whether or not people know, like, and trust the company.

In addition to people, it is possible to know, like, and trust a brand. It isn’t always about an individual relationship. So whether it’s all about you, a group of employees, or a brand, this concept applies to all businesses.

Let’s take a closer look at each of the three reasons people choose your business.

KNOW

The way you get to know someone is to build a relationship over time. You exchange ideas and information and develop a connection. There are many ways your prospective clients can get to know you better. Here are few:

- Spend time together with you in person

- Talk with you on the phone

- Read your e-mails

- Read your articles or books

- Listen to an audio recording you created

LIKE

People have a choice of who they do business with, and it’s logical that they gravitate toward people they like. Think about it, when is the last time you invested in something from someone you didn’t like?

Find out how likable you are by taking the L-Factor Self Assessment from Tim Sander’s book, The Likability Factor. Here is the link to download your free assessment and find out how likable you are: http://www.timsanders.com/images-downloads/l-factor-self-assessment.pdf.

TRUST

Trust is built between people when you are open, honest, and keep your promises. It’s about doing what you say you are going to do. So it’s quite simple. It’s about being impeccable with your word (which is the first agreement in the book The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz). This is about showing up on time, delivering when you promise, and keeping your commitments just to name a few. Make the choice to be true to your word you will create trust.

You can’t make people know, like, and trust you. They either will or they won’t. What you can control is who you are and how you act as the owner of your business.

Are you starting to see how building the ‘know, like, and trust’ factor can help you attract more clients and increase profits? Ask yourself often if you are creating a business that invites people to get to know you, see what you stand for, and builds trust. Do this and you will ignite your business!

© Stephanie Ward, 2008

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