ClearThoughts.com: It's Easy to Trust a Banana

Clear Thoughts™ Blog

By Ann Latham

ClearThoughts.com: It's Easy to Trust a Banana

It's Easy to Trust a Banana

Are your products as simple as a banana? Do they provide instant recognition? Have no moving parts? Sell for a fairly small and stable price? Require no installation? No explanation? No registration? No warranty?

If yes, your products, like a banana, can be sold without building trust. Trust is not a big factor in the sale of a banana. It's easy to trust a banana.

Unless, of course, you are dealing with someone who has never seen a banana. But then, the banana is no longer simple, is it?

For everything else, relationships matter because trust matters. If people don't trust you, they won't trust that you:

Have their best interests in mind.
Are offering them something that really meets their needs.
Are offering a fair price.
Are providing a quality product or service.
Will help resolve unanticipated problems.

It doesn't matter if you are selling online or face to face or somewhere in between, if it's not as simple as a banana, trust matters.

How do you build trust? While the specifics vary depending on your sales channel, the basics always apply:

Listen more than you speak.
Focus first on their situation, not your products and services.
Demonstrate your expertise and interest in improving their situation by asking intelligent questions and providing good advice.

In short, concentrate on helping, not selling. If you can't do that, go sell bananas!