This guest post is brought to you by Judy Baker with Book Marketing Mentor.
Who do you trust?
What was the reason you trusted that person? Did they do something for you? Are you in a group with them? Do you both belong to a club or an association? Over time, have they shown up consistently? Have they given you good advice? Are they kind?
Being generous and kind is one of the best ways to develop trust. Before you ask for something, give first. You are more likely to find help if you avoid being pushy or a sales shark. You don’t want to show up, being transactional.
Looking at building a relationship. What goes into the bank of trust? Are you an influencer? Do people come to you for advice, referrals, opinions? And are you being consistent in what you offer and how you share with other people? If you’ve got a website, having a video welcoming people so they know they are in the right place and why you are there. Highlighting the solution you offer can help build trust. Before ever having a conversation with someone, did you provide an opportunity to sample who you are?
Show Your Value
Are you putting out articles, videos? Are you doing workshops, speaking, being on podcasts, television, all those appearances, and opportunities to hear what you understand?
Your expertise is a way to build trust, and it’s a way for people to get to know you. These are some elements that determine whether they like you and if they’re looking for something you have in common with them.
What do you have in common?
- Are you from the same town?
- Do you have the same area of business expertise?
- Are you someone who they can collaborate with?
- Are you open, approachable, offering support and resources?
Generosity
Generosity can go a long way to building the know, like, and trust factor (KLT) you crave.
Over the past year, I have been a guest on I think about 20 podcasts, and I’ve also interviewed about the same number of authors about their books, how they came to write them, about them and their business.
It was fun, and through those conversations we got to know each other, and we got to be friends. Now, if you already are a connector, you have a lot of influence.
If you’re a little more reticent, that doesn’t mean people can’t know, like, and trust you. Maybe you are a bit more inclined to be on the quiet side, and yet you know things you can share with people that will transform their lives.
How We Make People Feel
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”- Maya Angelou
How we make people feel, the experience they get of being in your presence, contributes to whether people know you, like you, and trust you.
Ask
You could ask former clients. You can ask your friends, what is different about your life? Since we have worked together or known each other. You may be surprised at the answers, but it will reveal to you just all the amazing things that go into your relationships, and that’s what is at the core of building continuity, building engagement, growing your influence, and I know you can do it if you’re uncomfortable speaking, you can practice, you can hire a coach, you can get training on how to use your energy so that you are clear and you’re confident.
If writing is what you do, you can improve your communication skills so that you are more precise, concise, and clear in your writing.
If you’re doing video, you just keep doing it. You can get coached on being on camera. If standing up in front of a room feels daunting, maybe there’s a different way you can contribute and let people into your world so they can get to know you, what you’re about, and how you can be part of their world.
Pay Attention
And I’ll leave you with this last tip. Deep listening will help you with every conversation. Deep listening is when you are quiet, you’re allowing the other person to express themselves fully.
You’re not thinking ahead, jumping to conclusions, you’re really giving people your full attention with an open heart and an open mind. And when you do that, just think how it feels to be seen, heard, and accepted. I’ll leave you with that last thought.
Judy Baker, Book Marketing Mentor. Nonfiction authors can monetize their books without going broke or crazy. You can find me and resources for authors at https://judymbaker.com and https://bookmarketingmentor.com.
I’d love to have a conversation with you so we can see if we know and like and trust each other.
For authors, go to https://bookbuzzaudit.com
Thanks so much.
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