How To Use "Social Proof" to build Trust and Credibility
How To Use "Social Proof" to build Trust and Credibility
It is understandable that most prospects have been conditioned to be somewhat sceptical about the claims made by most sales people today. You can't really blame them either. Fact is, some sales people do make exaggerated, unsubstantiated claims about their product, their company, their service etc.
So when you make a claim about what you're offering, be very aware that your prospect is probably going to take it with a "grain of salt". In other words, they may not believe you.
So what can you do about this?
Tell them and SHOW them what your other happy, satisfied customers have to say about the point you are making. Make it a habit to always back up your claims with "SOCIAL PROOF" in the form of;
1. A "Real Life" success Story
Tell them about how your product or service has changed for the better, the life of one or more of your other clients. Tell them that they have given you permission to relate this story. Give them the specifics of what this customer was doing or using before they adopted your recommendation, and then tell them what happened after they went ahead with your recommendation. The more specific you can be about the details, the more credible you will be. Then (if possible) show them a...
2. Testimonial letter
If it's in writing, it's much more believable than something which is verbal. If you don't have a collection of testimonial letters, get some. How? Just ask! If you've looked after your customers they will be a happy to give you a note in writing. Handwritten on a piece of letter head or typewritten, either will do. If you tell your customer the points you'd like them to make, this will often make it easier for them and they'll appreciate the help. Then ask the customer if it would be OK if people who read their letter phone them. Most will say fine.
Testimonial letters are very powerful form of "Social Proof". Become a collector.
3. A photograph
Get into the habit of taking photographs of your happy clients using your product or service. It's easy and cheap with digital cameras these days. Most will be quite happy for you to do so. Tell them that you like to keep a collection of your happy customers in an album. Show them. Make sure you tell them that you'll send them a copy. Also tell them that you show these to people considering doing business with you and seek their permission to put their name and business telephone number in your album with the photograph.
A business card beside the photo is good too. Ask them if they could write a one sentence statement about their satisfaction to put next to the photo. Again most will be happy to.
By the way, it's the phone number and address that makes these photographs so credible. When you show off your album, invite your prospects to phone anyone they like to check that what you've told them is true.
4. A video
Video is a powerful tool and it doesn't need to be professionally shot or edited. In fact if it's too "slick" it will lose credibility. Simply ask your customer, two questions and record their answers. "Why did you decide to do business with me?" and "Have you been happy with your decision and why?" Video allows your prospects to see and hear what your customers have to say. The only disadvantage is that you may not be able show a video on the spot as readily as you can a photograph. However these days it's easy to up load a video to your company's web site and then you can show it to your customer on their own computer screen.
5. An audio cassette
Similar to my suggestion with respect to video, except you simply use a little hand held tape recorder to record their answers to those two questions. You can even collect these by telephone. Be sure your customer knows you are recording and what you intend doing with the recording.
6. A newspaper or magazine article
For some reason, people tend to believe newspaper and magazine articles. Most seem to think if it's in a publication, it must be true. Even though the information may have simply been an interview with you, it still more believable in an article, probably because the reader feels that the interviewer must have checked the validity of the claims being made. How to you get magazine articles? You get them by approaching these publications with success stories. Show them the testimonial letters too, show them the video and give them photographs to include in the story. Make it easy for publication. They are always looking for interesting stories.
A final note about Social Proof
When you use these items of "Social Proof", do so selectively by showing your prospect letters, photographs etc of people to whom your prospect can relate. For example if you are speaking with an accountant and you have a letter from an accountant, use that one rather the one you have from the truck driver, and vice versa. Build more "Social Proof" into your sales presentations and watch your credibility soar. Let me know how this works for you. I'm always pleased to hear success stories from clients. I put them in my collection and use them in my presentations and books,wouldn't you?
Have a great week. Make it a great week!
Wayne Berry
How To Use Social Proof to build Trust and Credibility - To learn more about this author, visit Wayne Berry's Website.
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It is understandable that most prospects have been conditioned to be somewhat sceptical about the claims made by most sales people today. You can't really blame them either. Fact is, some sales people do make exaggerated, unsubstantiated claims about their product, their company, their service etc.
So when you make a claim about what you're offering, be very aware that your prospect is probably going to take it with a "grain of salt". In other words, they may not believe you.
So what can you do about this?
Tell them and SHOW them what your other happy, satisfied customers have to say about the point you are making. Make it a habit to always back up your claims with "SOCIAL PROOF" in the form of;
1. A "Real Life" success Story
Tell them about how your product or service has changed for the better, the life of one or more of your other clients. Tell them that they have given you permission to relate this story. Give them the specifics of what this customer was doing or using before they adopted your recommendation, and then tell them what happened after they went ahead with your recommendation. The more specific you can be about the details, the more credible you will be. Then (if possible) show them a...
2. Testimonial letter
If it's in writing, it's much more believable than something which is verbal. If you don't have a collection of testimonial letters, get some. How? Just ask! If you've looked after your customers they will be a happy to give you a note in writing. Handwritten on a piece of letter head or typewritten, either will do. If you tell your customer the points you'd like them to make, this will often make it easier for them and they'll appreciate the help. Then ask the customer if it would be OK if people who read their letter phone them. Most will say fine.
Testimonial letters are very powerful form of "Social Proof". Become a collector.
3. A photograph
Get into the habit of taking photographs of your happy clients using your product or service. It's easy and cheap with digital cameras these days. Most will be quite happy for you to do so. Tell them that you like to keep a collection of your happy customers in an album. Show them. Make sure you tell them that you'll send them a copy. Also tell them that you show these to people considering doing business with you and seek their permission to put their name and business telephone number in your album with the photograph.
A business card beside the photo is good too. Ask them if they could write a one sentence statement about their satisfaction to put next to the photo. Again most will be happy to.
By the way, it's the phone number and address that makes these photographs so credible. When you show off your album, invite your prospects to phone anyone they like to check that what you've told them is true.
4. A video
Video is a powerful tool and it doesn't need to be professionally shot or edited. In fact if it's too "slick" it will lose credibility. Simply ask your customer, two questions and record their answers. "Why did you decide to do business with me?" and "Have you been happy with your decision and why?" Video allows your prospects to see and hear what your customers have to say. The only disadvantage is that you may not be able show a video on the spot as readily as you can a photograph. However these days it's easy to up load a video to your company's web site and then you can show it to your customer on their own computer screen.
5. An audio cassette
Similar to my suggestion with respect to video, except you simply use a little hand held tape recorder to record their answers to those two questions. You can even collect these by telephone. Be sure your customer knows you are recording and what you intend doing with the recording.
6. A newspaper or magazine article
For some reason, people tend to believe newspaper and magazine articles. Most seem to think if it's in a publication, it must be true. Even though the information may have simply been an interview with you, it still more believable in an article, probably because the reader feels that the interviewer must have checked the validity of the claims being made. How to you get magazine articles? You get them by approaching these publications with success stories. Show them the testimonial letters too, show them the video and give them photographs to include in the story. Make it easy for publication. They are always looking for interesting stories.
A final note about Social Proof
When you use these items of "Social Proof", do so selectively by showing your prospect letters, photographs etc of people to whom your prospect can relate. For example if you are speaking with an accountant and you have a letter from an accountant, use that one rather the one you have from the truck driver, and vice versa. Build more "Social Proof" into your sales presentations and watch your credibility soar. Let me know how this works for you. I'm always pleased to hear success stories from clients. I put them in my collection and use them in my presentations and books,wouldn't you?
Have a great week. Make it a great week!
Wayne Berry
How To Use Social Proof to build Trust and Credibility - To learn more about this author, visit Wayne Berry's Website.
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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