What is essential for gaining a client?
What is essential for retaining a client?
What facilitates losing a client?

The answer to all three questions - trust.

So, what is trust and how do you develop it with prospects and preserve it when they become clients?

Trust is built on three elements: credibility, accessibility, and reliability.

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Credibility, whether we are talking about prospects or clients, refers to having a message that’s relevant and demonstrates your understanding of their situation.

Today’s communication channels—Web sites, blogs, e-mail, white papers, social media, webcasts, webinars and on-line meetings—have made it easier than ever to get your message in front of a targeted audience.

Wasting their time with information that doesn’t help them solve problems or achieve goals will do little to build trust and can erode the trust that has been established.

Getting your credible message in front of prospects and clients is a wasted effort if you are not accessible to provide information for prospects when requested, or answer questions or resolve problems for clients as they occur. If they can’t “trust” that you’ll be there when they need you, then they won’t trust you.

Reliability, the third element of trust, is an essential ingredient for any relationship. If you make a commitment to a prospect or client, keep it. No excuses. Prospects and clients won’t trust you until they can rely on you to follow up and follow through as promised.

Whether we are talking about prospects and clients or friends, family, and colleagues, trust is an essential ingredient. When you have it, it can cement a relationship and, when you don’t, can cause it to crumble.

Joe Marr is a public speaker, sales and management consultant and trainer, and runs Sandler Training - Ann Arbor. Contact him at (734) 821-4830 or visit his Web site.