You're looking for the best way to penetrate the marketplace with your goods/services. Capturing the market share and make boat loads of money in the process. You hear all the hype about the latest approach to getting your message out to the masses. But there is one place that you can focus your attention that costs you nothing and yet over time will pay huge dividends.
Building your credibility in the market place is the single most important marketing skill you can have. All of your marketing efforts will eventually come crashing down if you don't have credibility in the marketplace.
I only work with clients who have great credibility in the marketplace. Because I know that no matter what I do to help them become more visible in their arena those efforts will be destroyed if they don't have credibility.
Seven Steps To developing Credibility In Your Marketplace
Respond immediately. We all have demanding clients. Guess what? They are your clients. You agreed to work with them. You must respond to them immediately. I sat with a sales rep once who told the potential buyer "if you call me I promise I will respond within 72 hours, unless it is on Thursday or Friday, then it could be Monday or Tuesday, but I promise I will respond in 72 business hours." Needless to say that person and their business decided to go somewhere else. Responding immediately means before the person forgets the reason they contacted you in the first place. I know, some time management gurus will tell you that you shouldn't allow urgent things to control your life. This isn't an urgent thing - it is a top priority! The needs of your clients demand your immediate response if you want to build credibility in your market.
Do the extra thing without expectations. Extra things are so important to your credibility. Anytime you get the chance to do more for your client than they expect...DO IT! Those extra things will build your credibility if not with this client with the next. Also it will become a habit that will turn you into the person others want to do business with.
Tell the truth. Everything you do...from your first contact to the last should be truthful. Don't tell the potential buyer something to get their business that you later will have to retract. Business is a trust relationship. They trust you to deliver on your promise. Break that trust and everyone will know. You must be truthful in everything you do!
Deliver on time what you promise. Sometimes deliveries are affected by things outside your control. When that happens, let the client know what you know when you know it. That way you've delivered on time even when you can't deliver as promised. Never use this as a way out of a promise! This is your last resort and only when the circumstance is beyond your control. Even though it is a last resort make your client your first call when it happens.
Be on time. Do you have a reputation for being on time? If you don't you're in big trouble! Being on time is essential. It tells the potential buyer that he/she is important enough for you to do whatever it takes to keep your time commitment. Be on time and timely in everything you do, not just the first things you do. It is easiest to be on time to establish a relationship. Doing it after a year proves who you really are.
Be friendly. Any contact with anyone must be friendly! I have seen sales reps be gooey-friendly in a meeting and then mean as a snake to the wait staff over lunch in the presence of the client. What does that say? There is a credibility gap concerning friendliness.
Be helpful. Do your potential buyers see you as genuinely helpful or just trying to make a sale? What kind of things can you do to demonstrate your helpfulness? What are you doing right now that is helpful, but not attached to a sale? Asking, how long are you willing to be helpful before action takes place that could result in a sale, will help you see the genuineness of your help.
Credibility - the most important marketing skill you possess. You don't need a training seminar, a life coach, or even a book to tell you how. You already possess the necessary skills. Just do the right thing every time, all the time and your credibility will grow. So will your business!
Author's Bio:
Eric Mulford specializes in helping small businesses get found by the people who want to do business with them. So they will have a steady stream of pre-qualified buyers. Eric helps small business owners build relationships so that prospective buyers will get to know them, trust them, want to do business with them, and recommend them to their friends. Eric can be found at www.market-my-town-usa.com.
