4. How to build trust - Jonathan Goodman
Every 22-year-old fitness pro imagines himself as a superhero, the guy who swoops in to save the world from mediocre workouts and ill-advised diets. And every experienced fitness pro rolls her eyes, knowing itâs far more
important to let your actions speak louder than your words.
Even better, though, is to let others do the talking for you. Get existing customers to speak (or type) about what youâve done for them. Praise is exponentially more valuable when it comes from someone other than you.
Acquiring sensational testimonials isnât something you do once and consider it finished. Itâs a continual job. More testimonials, from a wide range of clients, are always better.
The goal is to answer the most pressing question a prospect will have: Has somebody like me had success with this product or program?
When you do it right, future customers who identify with your successful client, and who have the same doubts and fears she started with, will see her transformation as proof they can do it too.
That gives you credibility, and credibility is the first and most important component
of trust.
Letters after your name add to your credibility, and potentially lead to improved trust. It doesnât matter if the client knows what the letters mean; itâs up to you to give them meaning.
Trust also comes from reliability. Do what you say youâre going to do, when you say youâre going to do it.
Finally, show empathy. The words âIâm sorryâ are particularly effective when a client describes a negative experience from the present or past. You arenât accepting blame. Youâre expressing regret that something bad happened to your client.
Thatâs what it means to be a modern-day superhero. Youâre not so much the hero of the story as the catalyst. Your customers are the heroes, the stars of their own stories. Instead of talking about yourself, talk about them, and the amazing, improbable, occasionally heroic things theyâve accomplished.
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