Building Trust Better than the Rest, Part 2: SELL Differently

Think about your first call with a potential client. What percentage of their questions do you answer on every new client call? On average, our clients say around 80%. 

What if, instead of having to answer those same questions on every call, your prospects knew the answers to those questions before the call? 

How would that change the quality of your sales conversations? 

You could get to the heart of their specific needs much faster. Instead of spending valuable time answering questions about your company and services where the answer is the same for everyone, you could focus on that specific prospect and their needs. 

In our last article, we discussed the importance of talking differently in sales and marketing, emphasizing the need to answer your customers’ actual questions, not just the ones you wish they would ask. 

That includes being up-front and addressing questions like cost, who you do and do not serve, and alternatives to your services. 

In this article, we dive into the next step to building trust: selling differently.

The Magic of Using Content in Your Sales Process

What if every prospective client was already well-versed in your company and services by the time you had your first conversation? Sounds like a dream, right? 

Well, it doesn’t have to be. 

When you learn to use content in the sales process effectively, you can ensure your prospects are well-educated about what you offer, making them more educated leads and, ultimately, better clients. 

This process is called assignment selling.

Think about it this way: Most people are willing to do a surprising amount of research before making a big purchase. 

Studies have shown buyers will read upwards of 100 pages of a website before making a purchase decision. Of course, that varies by industry and product price. 

Consider your buying habits. Whether it was a new lawn tool, face cream, insurance policy, or general contractor, you’ve probably spent time and energy digging into online reviews or watching videos before purchasing.

Your buyers are no different.   

If buyers want to do their research, why not harness that energy and guide them towards your content?

One of the ways you do this is by proactively sending them to your content at key points during the sales process. You give them an assignment to read or watch specific pieces of content based on where they are in their buyer’s journey and their specific questions. 

When it comes to assigning content for your prospects, we recommend posting a few key articles to your website that answer questions like:

• Who do you work with? (Good fit & Bad fit)
• What is your methodology/process?
• What does the process of working with you look like? 
• What product/services do you offer? 
• What are you responsible for? What the client is responsible for?
• Who from your team (roles) will they work with on this type of engagement? 
• Timelines
• Pricing and what factors impact price
• Client success stories

For clients who’d like to have all of this information in one place, we also create Buyer’s Guides that can be sent as a PDF to potential buyers. 

By assigning prospects specific articles or videos to consume, you’re not only educating them, but you’re also shortening your sales cycle and building trust. 

According to Forbes, “Conversion rates are six times higher than competitors for businesses that use content marketing…[which] suggests that effectively crafted content is a major contributor to engaging and influencing potential customers to take decisive action, such as making a purchase.” 

Increase Trust With Video

In addition to learning the art of assignment selling using articles and Buyer’s Guides, you’ll also want to get comfortable being on camera. 

Video is the king of content right now. It’s engaging, informative, and easily digestible. Most importantly, it drives trust because buyers can see and hear you before they ever speak to you. They feel like they already know you.

When it comes to sales, video can be a game-changer. 

You’re probably wondering what kind of videos you should create. There are several, let’s look at them.

Your Newest Sales Agent: The 80% Video

One of the most powerful video formats for sales is the 80% Video. This video tackles the most common questions your customers ask – the content that gets repeated 80% of the time you engage with new prospects. 

Think of it as a pre-sales consultation on video. This video not only saves you time and qualifies better leads, but it also increases trust and your chances of closing the deal. 

Curious about what this looks like, “in the wild?” Here’s our 80% video.

Once this bedrock piece is created, consider adding other videos to your arsenal. 

Other Videos To Leverage to Build Trust

• Bio Videos: Let your team shine! Personal videos can humanize your brand and build connections.
• Landing Page Videos: Include these on any website page with a form. Tell viewers what happens next after they submit the form. Here’s an example.
• Product/Service Videos: Showcase your offerings and answer common questions about who each is for and the problem they solve.  
• Cost Videos: Transparency builds trust. Explain your pricing structure clearly and confidently.
• Claims We Make Videos: Don’t just say “we’re different” show it.
• Customer Journey Videos: Show prospects how you’ve helped other clients. Show their journey of transformation as a result of working with you. 

Ready to Sell Differently?

No matter what you sell, you’re in the business of building trust. When you use transparent and unbiased content in the sales process (assignment selling), you will build trust. 

Don’t make the mistake of creating great content that never gets seen. Direct your prospects to it through assignment selling. Coupled with strategically placed videos and a well-made Buyers Guide, you can significantly shorten your sales cycle and increase your closing rate.

You can absolutely begin creating and publishing this content on your own. However, if you’d like help getting started or don’t have the resources to figure this out on your own, we can help. 

Our team at Heights works with B2B expert service professionals to help them create this content and train their team to use it effectively. Request a call to discuss what this could look like at your organization. 

In our next article, we’ll explore the final piece of the puzzle: SHOWING UP differently so your communication stands out in a sea of bland emails.