Who are you more likely to listen to? An authority figure you believe is an expert in their field. Or someone off
the street you know nothing about.
Obviously, the former.
It’s exactly the same when buying something from someone – especially if it’s high value.
People buy from those they know, like and most importantly, trust. Therefore immediately establishing your credibility and authority is paramount if you want to sell more, more easily.
Last week we covered the four fundamental questions every prospect asks themselves before committing to a purchase.
- Can you solve my problem?
- Why should I do business with you over everyone else?
- Do I like you?
- Can I trust you to deliver?
You learned how to EARN THE RIGHT to be listened to by establishing your credibility and authority starting with your “hero’s journey”.
So let’s move onto other ways you can establish your credibility and authority.
Starting with education.
Like it or not, a formal education in your topic counts.
You know a doctor has probably studied for at least 10 years to become a specialist. You walk into their rooms, see the multitude of certificates on the wall which automatically give them credibility and authority. So when they prescribe, you’re more likely to take your medicine without dissent.
So if you have certificates from credible institutions, display them prominently in your office where your prospects and clients can clearly see them.
Business awards can make for great credibility boosters.
Clients of ours in the Financial Planning area have won numerous industry awards which gives them credibility with the public as well as industry peers.
Another client in construction recently won a major Master Builders Association Award for construction in the $5M category.
And you don’t have to win. Being a finalist is enough. It’s all about being recognised for achievement and getting your name out there.
Moving onto media of any kind.
A client of ours is regularly featured on ABC TV’s Finance Quarter and ABC 7:30 amongst other programs. Being on national media implies authority and credibility as an expert.
But you don’t have to be nationally featured. You could podcast your material on ITunes or YouTube. Or have a segment on local community radio.
Published articles in national media, trade magazines or just your own blog will raise your profile.
This newsletter you’re reading reaches thousands of people directly and is forwarded on to many more. It also goes into LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook feeds, reaching even more people.
I regularly meet people at business functions who walk up and tell me they’re on our list and enjoy reading our material.
Regular, quality writing is one of the best ways of keeping your name in front of potential buyers and reinforcing your value to existing clients.
Thought of writing a book? For most it’s a scary thought. But there are thousands of journalists and ghost writers who could do it for you. All you need to provide is the raw material.
Books position you as an authority figure.
Your book only needs to cover the issues your target market has, how you solve them, with case studies thrown in. About a hundred pages will do it.
And with Amazon’s self-publishing, on demand options including Kindle make it far easier than before.
Another excellent source of raw material are your own articles. We’ve taken some of our best and collated them into a book, “Why Guide Dogs are Great Marketers”. We’ve given this to serious prospects and JV partners who’ve loved the material.
And finally, speaking.
Public speaking is an art, that if you master will propel you like no other. If you deliver great content in an easy to listen style, you will be perceived as an expert.
Speaking to large groups gives you leverage. You’re spending the same amount of time talking to lots of people rather than one on one.
Video your talks and you can use them in marketing material you send out.
Putting it all together – the “Wow Pack”.
A “wow pack” is a physical package of material which includes copies of your awards, published articles and book if you have one. Put in client case studies which highlight issues you’ve solved (make sure they relate to the same class of issues your prospect is facing). Add any audio or video of you speaking.
Then either send the material to your prospect before you meet (preferable as you gain credibility before meeting), or after speaking to them (which reinforces your authority).
Taking the trouble to do this with a qualified prospect will make your sales process easier because you’ve established credibility, authority and gone a long way to answering the question, “Can I trust you to deliver.”
Now some of you might well be feeling overwhelmed by all this. Which is where we can help.
Book yourself in for a couple of hours with us and we’ll sort through all the material you have and how you can use it. We can discuss syndication opportunities to increase your reach.
If you want to improve your speaking/presentation skills, we can structure your presentation correctly so it hits the mark with your audience, elicit your “hero’s journey” story, and coach you in physical presentation skills including how to use your voice for maximum impact.
We can work in short, sharp bursts which will get you results – i.e. more high value clients.
Call us on (02) 9499-7958 to book in.
Rashid & Barbara
