How to increase your know, like, trust factor and make more sales
Have you ever wondered what makes you different from a top producer? She must have a secret to her success. Maybe she’s charming, has the gift of gab, or exudes confidence. Perhaps she uses technology you’re unfamiliar with. Whatever it is, she has it—and you don’t.
But you can.
You may be surprised to learn that top producers don’t have more secrets or gifts than you do. However, they do have a process that generates more sales, raving fans, and referrals.
When you practice the process of increasing your know, like, trust factor, you’ll close more deals too. This process involves three simple steps: be visible, be yourself, and be consistent.
Be visible
Before someone can like you, they have to know you exist. So, if people don’t know who you are and what you do, this is where you need to start.
Instead of trying to be known to everyone, it’s much easier to become known to a smaller niche of people. That’s why identifying your ideal client is so important: it saves you time and money, and it differentiates you from your competitors.
You stand out in your niche by positioning yourself as an expert. And you do it by creating content that adds value to the lives of your target audience. Here are some ideas:
- Develop a valuable free product—an ebook, guide, or checklist—and build your email list. (This doesn’t require a website, so don’t get discouraged. You can make a simple landing page—and it’s free in Mailchimp.)
- Create a blog and share your expertise
- Interview experts and get in front of their audience
- Get social and share your knowledge on social media
- Create a podcast, webinar, or video series. Maybe that will appeal to your audience more than blog posts, white papers, or e-books.
Adopting the right mindset is also important because you have to put yourself out there and get in front of your audience. Don’t be a secret agent!
In a nutshell: Remove the sales barrier between you and your target audience by adding value before you try selling them.
Be yourself
Being known isn’t enough to convert your leads into clients. After they know who you are and what you do, your next step is building your relationship and increasing your likeability.
Think about it, if two agents are equal in every way, but one is more fun, charming, or exciting—you’d choose to do business with the one you like the most.
The best way to be likable is being yourself. Here are some ideas to increase your likeability:
- Use your authentic voice
- Share your real stories and perspective
- Be helpful, generous, and responsive
- Be nice!
- Engage and interact
- Be relevant
- Show you’re human: add your photo to your email signature, about page, email newsletters, etc.
In a nutshell: Be yourself and let people get to know you (and vice versa!) because there’s no one else like you!
Be consistent
After you become known and likable, the final step is being steady and building trust. Because when you earn and maintain someone’s confidence, you have a customer for life. And a fundamental way to gain trust is being consistent. Here are some ideas to earn trust:
- Do what you say you’ll do—always deliver on your promises, and you’ll never disappoint.
- Follow up and follow through: prove your trustworthiness by consistently showing up (phone calls, emails, articles, social, etc.)
- Add value: train your audience to always to expect the best service and guidance from you, and they’ll never look elsewhere
- Apologize when necessary: own your mistakes
In a nutshell, being consistent demonstrates that you’re worthy of trust. And this is the gateway to sales.
Your turn!
How do you increase your know, like, trust factor? Do you use this process in your real estate practice? We’d love to hear your experience. Sound off in the comments below.
