Relationships matter in sales, but when it comes down to it, credibility is what seals the deal. Sales reps often spend months grabbing coffee, building rapport, and finding common ground with prospects. Those connections are valuable, but trust goes deeper than likability. When prospects see you as credible, they don’t just enjoy working with you — they rely on you.
Sales & Profit’s Vishal Mehta says when salespeople wonder why they’re not closing deals, it’s often because they’ve succeeded in only part of the equation. They have solid relationships, but they’re only transactional. What they need, Mehta says, is to build credibility. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share Mehta’s guidance for thinking beyond the relationship to establishing yourself as a credible promo expert.
They add value to each conversation. Many sales reps are reactive. When the prospect says, “I need this,” the sales rep says, “Yes, we can do that.” This doesn’t build credibility. Instead, Mehta says it only build you into a commodity. That’s why he says it’s so important to add value to every single conversation, whether you’re meeting in person over the phone or via email. Credible sales reps always have expertise, knowledge or insights to share.
They educate the customers. The most credible sales reps are knowledgeable. They know industry best practices, and they’ve seen what works and what doesn’t for different companies. When they’re talking to someone, Mehta says they’re not just answering questions but teaching. They open people’s eyes to the possibilities they hadn’t considered.
They ask insightful questions. Mehta appreciates that the best sales reps don’t ask typical questions about timelines and budgets. Instead, they ask questions that make prospects stop and think. When prospects pause and think for a moment before answering, he says something magic happens. The prospect realizes there’s a problem or issue they hadn’t considered.
They share information differently. According to Mehta, averages sales reps position themselves as “me too” vendors. But the great ones share information in a way that completely differentiates them. When they explain themselves, the prospect says, “Wow, I hadn’t thought of that before.”
They’re not afraid to tactfully challenge the prospect. Challenging the prospect is a great credibility booster. You could say, “I get why you’re thinking about it like that, but based on what I’ve seen at similar companies, there might be a better approach.”
Charm will only get you so far. Instead, focus on boosting your credibility. When you consistently add value, educate and challenge with empathy, people will start seeing you differently — not as someone selling to them, but as someone thinking with them.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Vishal Mehta is co-founder of Sales & Profit, a B2B sales performance improvement company.
