Any successful relationship usually involves some level of trust. When it comes to business clients, this couldn’t be more true. Trust is one of the more difficult things to establish when you speak to clients because at the end of the day, everyone has their personal interests to worry about.
Whether that’s making money from your clients or using them to network with more people, there are likely some things that you want to “get” out of your client. As a result of this, clients can often be inquisitive and untrusting, and this could potentially lead to a negative relationship with your clients if you don’t approach it correctly.
So how do you establish a trusting relationship with these clients?
Show respect for all of your clients
One of the worst things you can do to any client is disrespect them. The key to getting any client to trust you is to show them respect and be honest with them. Whenever you set up a meeting, make sure you’re there on time. When you communicate with them, don’t hide any details, and be truthful about everything you say. If you stick to this consistent level of behavior with your clients, then you’ll find it much easier to establish a sense of trust.
Showing respect also means understanding that there are boundaries. You should aim to make things a little personal now and then, such as adding a few personal notes about your day during conversations, or just asking a client how they’re doing outside of business. This can make things a lot more comfortable during your meetings, but you should remember not to cross any boundaries or you might risk offending them or breaking their trust.
Have the right team for the job
No matter if you’re a small business or a large corporation, it’s vital that you start seeking assistance when it comes to communicating with your clients. Having a sales recruiter can help you find the right clients that match your ideal customer, thus improving the likelihood of you developing a trusting relationship with them. Similarly, having sales experts that can communicate effectively with the client is a huge bonus as well.
If you don’t build a successful team to communicate with clients, then it’s just going to be difficult when it comes to establishing a good working relationship with them. If you’re a small business that can’t afford to build a sales team for this, then it’s either time to invest in one or brush up on your communication skills.
Made a mistake? Correct it properly
If you’ve made a mistake, correct it properly. Communicate with your client that you’ve made a mistake, apologize, then do what it takes to fix the issue. Confessing your mistakes like this is a good way to establish a sense of trust because it means you’re doing something in the client’s best interests. Making a mistake itself can be seen as an issue, but the best thing you can do is handle it in a way that shows you care about the client and their reputation.
