These strategies will help promotional product sales professionals strengthen the trust clients have in you, increasing buyer loyalty and your revenue tally.

Put The Client First – Really: Recognize that your success is contingent on the client having a positive experience and achieving excellent results from the solutions you provide. The best way to engineer these ends is to make helping clients reach their objectives your primary goal. Proceeding from this mindset frames your approach differently than if your main goal is “to get a sale.” When you put the client first, you’ll ask relevant questions and listen more closely to the answers. You’ll develop a thorough understanding of buyers’ needs. You’ll feel and convey empathy. Ultimately, you’ll deliver solutions that work, compelling clients to believe in you.

Humanize The Sales Process: “Get to know your clients,” says Christopher Faust, CMO of Qvidian, a provider of cloud-based sales execution solutions. “No two buyers are alike, just as no two deals are the same. Having a unique conversation each and every time shows clients that sales reps understand their specific needs and situations.”

Keep Your Promises: Build trustworthiness by sticking to your word. Be on time. Contact clients when you say you will. Don’t promise results unless you’re certain they will come to fruition. “After keeping your promises, point out that the promises have been kept and the benefits to customers from you having done this,” says Bruce D. Sanders, a consumer psychologist.

Develop Product Knowledge: To be a trustworthy consultant, you must understand the products and services you’re pitching. “If you sound like you don’t know what you’re talking about, you’ll also sound dishonest,” says Timothy Trudeau, CEO of Syntax Creative, which specializes in digital fulfillment, social marketing and more.

Forget About Fibbing: Fudging may win you a sale, but it’s unlikely to earn you long-term loyalty. In the information age, savvy buyers will discover dishonesty. So instead of manipulating, be upfront. Acknowledge weaknesses (maybe you’re pricier) when clients bring them up, but then talk about strengths you have that override the drawback.  

Sharpen Your Online Image: Prospects will first evaluate you online. Lay the groundwork for trust by making a positive digital impression with a great LinkedIn profile that outlines how you have helped customers. Feature testimonials on your website. Ensure your site is polished, conveying what makes you unique, an excellent partner. Meanwhile, make sure your social media accounts feature posts that are germane to clients and ideal prospects.