TSE 1329: How Sellers Can Build Trust With Buyers in Remote Settings

08/14/20 • 33 min

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How Sellers Can Build Trust With Buyers in Remote Settings

Virtual and remote settings are now part of the sales process due to the ongoing pandemic. As a result, it can be hard for a salesperson to build trust with your buyers you can’t meet face to face. In this episode, we’ll look at ways trust can be built regardless of proximity. Russell Wurth is the global VP of Sales Enablement at Showpad and has had an expanding range of experience over the last 20 years.

One of Russell’s favorite books, The Trusted Advisor, has a great formula for trust: Trust is credibility plus reliability plus intimacy divided by self-orientation. Trust is about developing credibility and reliability with a bit of intimacy. The thing about intimacy is that it’s hard to develop virtually. This is something that you build by personal interaction through dinners, lunch meetings, and other events. With the lack of personal meetings, however, sales reps now need to rely heavily on their credibility and reliability. Developing personal relationships is the natural way to build intimacy but what elements help the process? One way is to invest time in doing research about the other person’s personal interests and focus on topics that have nothing to do with business. That research will offer insight to common ground that could lead to a great conversation. You don’t want to come across as a salesperson looking to cut a deal right away. Step out with your authentic self.

Building credibility

Once a relationship starts to build, you’re then able to build credibility by focusing on what the buyer is going through. Bring value to the table. Share beneficial information that will help their pain point and present it in a way they’ll be able to understand. Don’t limit yourself to presentations that come from PowerPoints, PDFs, and videos. Think about the nurture path and feed the clients bit by bit. Provide insight instead of just unloading a pile of digital content, assuming that the client is going to read it.

There are a lot of digital tools available that would vastly improve your presentations but as a salesperson, your goal is to make it more personal. Be authentic and show you truly care. You need to learn how to use your emotional quotient by showing empathy toward their challenges.

Developing emotional quotient

Salespeople used to just focus on what was good for their commissions and their company. They focused on product knowledge and how prospects could help their business. You can still share information about your products and services but only offer as much as it is truly helpful to your client. Sell them the problem solvers. Dive deeper and share the challenges that aren't’ just case studies but something that is relatable to them.

As you build intimacy, make sure you don’t forget to focus on information that isn’t business oriented. #SalesCredibility

Video is the way

The best way to be out there right now is through video. Don’t be embarrassed about your background, what’s going on, or if there are kids everywhere. Be a little bit vulnerable and let them get a peek into your life. That will help you connect with your clients. You won’t just be a disconnected voice but someone they can see on camera, smiling and talking. Just be sure not to multitask while you are on a video call. Give them your full attention. The more you can show how invested you are in the conversation, the more they will return in kind. Showing them a bit of who you are can open into a friendlier conversation as it puts their guard down.

Video calls aren’t about having the best background, it’s about finding your most comfortable spot.

Sales reps need to be sensitive about time management especially when making calls. Set up your Google Calendar and be in 10 minutes before the scheduled time. Don’t try to wrap everything up within the hour. Your clients and prospects don’t want to feel rushed. If you can’t finish the presentation, then break it down by segments. Open your calendar again and set up another time the prospect can continue.

You are only as good as the people who are going to vouch for you so explore how to do that in this digital world. Use this time while you’re home to build your social network and build your portfolio.

“How Sellers Can Build Trust With Buyers in Remote Settings” episode resources

Connect with Russell Wurth via LinkedIn and check out his official websites.

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram,

How Sellers Can Build Trust With Buyers in Remote Settings

Building credibility

Developing emotional quotient

As you build intimacy, make sure you don’t forget to focus on information that isn’t business oriented. #SalesCredibility

Video is the way

Video calls aren’t about having the best background, it’s about finding your most comfortable spot.

“How Sellers Can Build Trust With Buyers in Remote Settings” episode resources

Connect with Russell Wurth via LinkedIn and check out his official websites.

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram,

Previous Episode

TSE 1328: The One Thing Holding You Back From Massive Success

The One Thing Holding You Back From Massive Success

Regardless of the industry we are in, success is the goal, but it isn’t easy to achieve. It takes time and effort and oftentimes, we have to overcome mental blocks that keep us from attaining that success. In this episode, we’re talking about breaking through that upper limit to achieve sales success.

Limiting your sales success

Gay Hendricks wrote the book, The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level. It is a powerful book that talks about how we set limitations and don’t take big leaps because of fear. As a salesperson, we set limits on ourselves about what we do on a day-to-day basis. This may include calling clients or setting appointments. We have these upper limits, the proverbial glass ceiling, we impose on ourselves. These are the limits we don’t go beyond.

For example, one salesperson may limit himself to three appointments a day and when they try to go beyond that, they somehow find ways to sabotage themselves. This is because he isn’t comfortable with success that is outside of his norm. He feels the need to move himself back into his comfort zone, a place where he feels like he belongs.

The same is true in relationships. Sometimes when things are going well, fighting starts. This isn’t just a mystical force suddenly showing its face. The fight is something we conjure up in our minds. We allow it and find ways to let it intrude on our lives. It turns a small incident into a big deal. It keeps us at a lower level.

Go beyond your comfort zone

The sales reps that go beyond their comfort zone are the ones who typically thrive but this requires you to put yourself in an uncomfortable position. It requires you to take the big leap.

How can you achieve your sales success? How can you go to the next level of your sales performance?

In this pandemic, some of you may have already set your proverbial glass ceilings. You may have decided that your opportunities are limited and convinced yourself that you’re not going to be successful in this current season. The truth is, sometimes the worse things happen because we stop taking action. Are you showing up on time for virtual meetings? In what areas are you showing a lack of effort?

The Sales Evangelists are still offering the same services now as they did before. The organization, however, is receiving more opportunities, even with this pandemic. Donald realized that this was because he didn’t limit what he could do as a leader of the organization.

Constantly look for areas to improve

There is always room for success when you break through the ceiling. This may be through prospecting, your LinkedIn outreach, or your social selling. Whatever those limits are, go beyond them, and position yourself as someone who can solve the problems of your ideal customers.

It’s not easy to take the big leap, especially if you are making big changes, but there’s no other way except to break through the limitations you’ve set.

Be the person who can solve the problem for your ideal customer. #SalesSolution

“The One Thing Holding You Back From Massive Success” episode resources

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Intherrupt, a podcast that is all about empowering women leaders. Every episode, Linda Yates interviews some of the most intriguing women in the business world and finds out what they do to be able to gain an opportunity in the business world. The podcast launches on August 24 and if you want to get on an early adopters list, go to www.salespodcastnetwork.com/intherrupt.

This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Po...

Next Episode

TSE 1330: Becoming the Best Storyteller Possible

Becoming the Best Storyteller Possible

Jim Benton is the CEO of Chorus AI, a leader in conversation intelligence, who helps people understand the conversation that their sales teams are having with their customers.

Technology is more important than ever as it can be used to tell stories that help your clients understand what it is you offer. However, with the pandemic, it is all the more challenging to know these stories within your sales team and what their activities might include.

Becoming the best storyteller

Three ways to become great storytellers:

Authenticity

A sales rep can be authentic and relaxed when he’s prepared. He has to understand what’s required of him to be present in the conversation and not be distracted.

Experience

Experience is tied to authenticity. The most authentic stories come from those that you have personally experienced. New sales reps who don’t have stories of their own can share what they observe. This means paying attention to the details of what is going on around them and the colleagues they work with.

Data

You need to have a way to validate and anchor the story so it connects to you and your client. The story is an effective way of building trust because people are more laid back when they’re sharing their stories. They’re more likely to exchange better information. As sales reps, this is where you need to be attentive. Once the story and rapport is established you can also add metrics and other relevant statistics to anchor a data point and enhance credibility.

Storytelling and technology

It’s critical to connect with people and technology helps us do that. It bridges the gap between sales reps and prospects. Once meetings have taken place, the sales team can use AI to share conversations everyone can listen to and learn from. It becomes an automated tool for coaching that comes straight from the customer.

“Becoming the Best Storyteller Possible” episode resources

Follow Jim Benton via his LinkedIn account.

Connect with Donald via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.