3 Secret Ways to Increase Your Credibility With Potential Clients

You're new to building your business. You have been in business for some time now but you don't have as many clients as you wish.

Either way one of the tricks is to figure what the missing piece is. Where is the disconnect? Is it the marketing? Is your niche not tight enough? Does your website need work?

All of those, and more, are possibilities but today let's talk about 'credibility'. This is the piece where people believe you are the real deal and they want to have a business relationship with you.

Building a successful business is all about connections with people, it's not just about sales. Your goal is to establish rapport and build relationships with potential clients until they decide they are ready to become paying clients.

Secret #1: The 'know, like and trust factor'. You are probably familiar with this term and know it's important but how do you do this? When I go to a new website the first thing I look for is a picture. If it's not there, I go to the "About" page. If there is no picture there, I most likely leave the site. I certainly wouldn't get on your list or buy from you. There are too many people that do what you do that do have a picture of themselves. If you want me to join you on Facebook or LinkedIn, please have a picture. Logos are great but I want a picture of you! This is only one piece in this secret but please take this seriously.

Secret #2: Tell me your story. Who are you that I should want to connect with you and maybe eventually give you my credit card? Where do you come from, what is your history? The letters after your name may not be as important to me as they are to you. Half the time I don't even understand what they stand for. I don't want gory details either, but I want to know overall what you have gone through, what you have lived through and came out successfully smelling like a rose.

Secret #3: "What do you do"? This is a question we all hear all the time. Some of you have great answers and I can connect right away and make a decision if what you have is what I want. I want to know what the benefits are for me if I were to work with you. Even if it's in a no-cost, complementary I want the benefits. I want to know what value I will get, what kind of transformation I will get.

I truly do want to see your face, I want to know your story and I want to know if you can help me get from where I am now to where I want to be. I want you to be real and authentic. I want to connect with the real you. When I ask you "What do you do?" please don't say "I am a coach", "I am a speaker" or "I am an author". Those titles mean little to me.

I hope this is helpful and gives you at least a start in developing your brand and your posture and being credible.