88% of you who answered the last survey wanted to know how to build your credibility before your first meeting with a new prospect.
This is difficult to do well over the phone because you're forced to tell what a wonderful person you are, which can sound boastful, and put many people off.
So write a letter, instead.
The written word has more authority than the spoken, and implies more commitment from the writer, thus adding to its credibility. And your letterhead can add to it, too.
For example:
1. Is it your own letterhead, or that of your sponsor? If your name is smaller than your sponsor's, your credibility appears less than his. So use your own letterhead. It's easy to make your own today with your word processor.
2. Do you have appropriate letters after your name? B.A. after your name, for example, says nothing about what you know about our business, while CFP, CLU, or CHFC, say that you've spent some time and effort learning about it. So, if you don't have them, start acquiring them. If you have just one or two get more. More letters = more credibility.
3. Do you have a business-like e-address with its own unique domain name? The domain name is the part after the @ in your e-address. Maybe You@hotmail.com seemed sexy when you first heard of it, but it isn't, and never has been professional.
4. Domains are cheap. My most expensive one, pooley.ca costs me only C$35 yearly. So get one that's uniquely yours, and add to your credibility economically, and easily.
Read "The Aim of the Name" for more on appropriate names.
5. Do you have your own firm? A letter from Jack Jones, President of Jack Jones Ltd. certainly carries more weight than one from Jack Jones, Representative of XYZ Brokers.
So, before he even gets to your message, your letterhead has told your prospect where you fit in the scheme of things, and he's decided whether the rest is worth reading.
But what if you're a newbie who has none of these things in your letterhead to enhance your credibility?
Then you have to grab the prospect's attention in some other way that's unique enough to make you stand out so far above the crowd that he's eager to meet you.
But that's another story.
Building Credibility - To learn more about this author, visit Donald F. Pooley's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
 Critical Qualities To Achieve Credibility, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
|
| |
Achieving or earning credibility is something all of us need to strive for in business and in our personal life. Achieving credibility means gaining the ability to be recognized for one’s capabilities and knowledge...
|
|
Find Out Who You Are Talking To
|
| |
 Whether face-to-face, phone, email, mail, fax, website or whatever medium, find out early in the interaction what that person's primary motivation is.
|
|
Building Credibility
|
| |
88% of you who answered the last survey wanted to know how to build your credibility before your first meeting with a new prospect.
|
|
Pay My Dues ~ Build Credibility
|
| |
During a recent networking function, I had a great conversation about young professionals with an older gentleman—I’ll call him Bill—in the insurance sales industry. He mentioned how difficult it is to find young pr...
|
|
Selling Through the Tough Times
|
| |
In this tips-oriented piece, Rick Davis, president of Strategic Sales in the Building Industry, explains how to rise to the situation and sell through tough times.
|
 |
Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors |
|
The Evan Elite Authors program is currently in beta phase. For details please contact us.
|
|
|
Donald F. Pooley
(Visit Donald's Website)
Don Pooley, the author of this article,
allows you to publish
it if you include these credit lines:
Copyright 2005, Donald F. Pooley, Inc.
Don Pooley CLU, CFP, CHFC, "The
Advisor's Advisor" has shared
his marketing know-how with audiences of
life insurance men
in all major Canadian cities, London,
Australia, Chicago, New
York, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and
Singapore, and now in his
free ezine. To get more ideas on marketing
your services, plus
free ebooks, subscribe now at www.eTIP.ca/
|
|
|
|
![[Get Copyright Permissions]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.gif){kind=small}
