Building Trust with Clients Using Non-Traditional Tools

Trust isn't complicated. But most people get it wrong. Let me explain. I analyzed 500+ sales conversations and found something shocking: The highest-performing reps weren't using fancy trust-building techniques. They were using these 3 simple triggers that nobody talks about: 1. Real-time validation 🚫 Not customer logos 🚫 Not case studies 🚫 Not testimonials But showing prospects LIVE: → Who's viewing their content right now → Questions others are asking → Active engagement metrics Result? 73% higher meeting show rates. 2. Reverse referrals Instead of asking for referrals, document exactly: → How others found you → Their specific journey → Their exact results I tested this with 50 prospects: ✅ 41% response rate ✅ 28% meeting rate ✅ 19% close rate 3. Ambient reassurance Small, consistent actions that build trust: → Weekly performance updates → Public progress tracking → Regular capability proof My team's results: ✅ Trust scores up 47% ✅ Sales cycle shortened by 31% ✅ Close rates increased 22% Here's what nobody tells you: Trust isn't built through big gestures. It's built through small, consistent actions that prove you're reliable. I implemented these triggers last quarter: → Pipeline increased 52% → Close rate jumped 31% → Average deal size up 27% I’ve broken down this full framework above so you can study it, save it, and start applying it immediately. Remember: While others focus on complex trust-building strategies, these simple triggers consistently outperform. Ready to transform your trust-building approach? Let's connect. #SalesStrategy #TrustBuilding #B2BSales #GrowthHacking #RevenueLeadership

CSMs are borrowing techniques from psychotherapy to save renewals. And it's working. The OARS framework comes from therapeutic counseling, but it's perfect for discovery calls. It builds trust faster than any sales technique because it makes prospects feel heard instead of sold to. Here's how it breaks down: - Open Questions. Stop asking "Do you like our product?" Start asking "What's the #1 thing being discussed in your boardroom right now?" Open questions force prospects to think and share real information. Closed questions get you yes/no answers that lead nowhere. - Affirmations. When customers hit milestones, acknowledge it. "You increased automation by 30% ahead of schedule" builds momentum better than moving straight to the next agenda item. - Reflections. This is the secret weapon. Repeat back what they said in your own words: Prospect: "We're drowning in support tickets and need better analysis." You: "So it sounds like you want to extract more insights from your current support system, and you're looking for solutions to do that. Did I get that right?" Reflections prove you're listening and give them a chance to clarify. Even when you're wrong, they'll correct you - which gives you better information. - Summary. End calls by pulling together everything they said, then ask: "What's the next step you think we should take?" When THEY suggest the next step instead of you telling them what to do, they're more likely to follow through. The framework works because it changes us the traditional sales approach that your clients might be used to. Instead of pitching and pushing, you're reflecting and guiding. Most reps ask a question, then immediately ask three more questions because they panic in silence. That turns discovery into an interrogation. OARS teaches you to ask one question, shut up, and let them talk. Then reflect what you heard before moving forward. Chad shared how he used this to save a six-figure renewal during a Sales Assembly session on Customer Discovery last week. The customer had been ghosting emails for weeks. Instead of pitching harder, he asked: "Is there something I should have asked you that maybe I didn't?" The response was a novel about losing faith in the product roadmap and feeling left behind by competitors. That one reflective question uncovered the real issue and saved the deal. Therapists know that people need to feel understood before they'll change their behavior. Customers need to feel understood before they'll renew their contracts.

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗱𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗥 For 15 years, I believed great surgery was enough. I was wrong. The patients who trusted me most weren't those who saw my technical skills in the OR—they were the ones who knew me as a person before they ever met me. Here are 3 unconventional ways I've built patient trust outside the hospital walls: 𝟭. 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 I used to hide behind medical jargon and institutional websites. I do the opposite, now. Every week, I share one surgical insight in plain English: • How I approach a complex procedure • What patients should really expect during recovery • The questions I wish patients would ask me Example: Instead of posting "Performed total knee arthroplasty with multimodal pain management protocol," I write: "Replaced a knee today using techniques that cut recovery time in half. Here's why you'll be walking the same day and back to your morning walks within weeks, not months." This transparency lets patients see both my expertise and my communication style before they step into my office. The result? Patients arrive already feeling like they know me. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 This strategy transformed my practice more than I imagined. I created three "evergreen" videos (record once, use forever): • Pre-consultation: "Here's what to expect at our first meeting" • Pre-surgical: "Here's what will happen on surgery day" • Post-surgical: "Here's how to optimize your recovery" Each 60-90 seconds long, sent via text to every patient at the right moment. Why this works: • Reduces anxiety by setting clear expectations • Shows I'm thinking about them between appointments • Demonstrates I care about their entire journey, not just the procedure One patient told me: "Doc, getting that video the night before surgery made me feel like you were personally looking out for me." 𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Trust isn't built in exam rooms—it's earned in everyday spaces. I made myself visible in three ways: • Hospital education: Not to promote my practice, but to educate about prevention • Patient talks: Speaking at my practice about our step-by-step experience anyone can understand • Patient reunions: Annual gatherings where past patients can share their stories 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 Technical skill gets you through Fellowship. But trust gets patients through their most vulnerable moments. In today's world, that trust starts building long before patients walk into your office. Great surgeons don't just perform procedures—they build relationships that extend far beyond the OR. I'm learning.

When you don’t have a budget for ads, building trust is the way to go. When I started my practice, I didn’t have a big budget for ads or a flashy marketing campaign. What I did have was a clear understanding of the kind of business I wanted to build—one rooted in trust, relationships, and real solutions for people with tax debt. So, instead of throwing money into advertising, I invested in something more meaningful: 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 If you’ve ever sat across from a client who feels completely lost—maybe their bank account was just frozen, or they received an IRS letter they don’t understand—you know that this isn’t about sales. It’s about trust. Tax debt is one of the most stressful challenges someone can face. And when they turn to their CPA, attorney, or financial advisor, they’re looking for 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. I realized early on that the best way to grow my practice wasn’t to convince clients to choose me—it was to show their trusted advisors that I could be 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 trusted resource. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 I made it my mission to connect with the people who encounter clients with tax debt problems long before I ever do: - CPAs trying to explain IRS notices to accounting and tax prep clients. - Bankruptcy attorneys helping clients who have tax issues that can’t be discharged. - Financial advisors who know their clients need tax resolution before they can move forward. Instead of pitching myself, I listened. I asked what their clients needed, what they needed, and how I could make their lives easier. And then I followed through. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 1. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁    When a CPA or bankruptcy attorney refers their client to me, that client already trusts me because they trust the person who sent them. That trust shortens the gap between problem and solution, and it’s something no ad can replicate.     2. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀    Those early connections didn’t just send clients my way—they became partnerships. These are people I can call for advice, collaborate with, and send referrals back to when my clients need their help.     3. 𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀    Doing great work for one client leads to another referral. And another. Over time, the effort I put into those relationships started snowballing. I didn’t just build a business—I built a reputation.     When I first started, I decided my niche would be promoting myself as a tax debt attorney who would do the right thing within a sea of fraudulent tax firms. And that started with creating trust.

The way lawyers build meaningful relationships has evolved way beyond swapping business cards. While trust and personal connections are still the cornerstone of legal business development, technology is amplifying – not replacing – how you nurture those relationships. Think of today's relationship intelligence platforms (CRM on steroids) as your personal business development radar. They're like having a brilliant associate who never sleeps, tracking not just who you know but how well you know them, when you last connected, and what matters most to them. They notice when you haven't connected with a key referral source in a while and can give you a heads-up before the relationship goes cold. Nice, right? LinkedIn (yes, that platform you check but rarely use strategically) has transformed into a sophisticated relationship amplifier. Beyond just showing who knows whom, it reveals shared interests and conversation starters that make your outreach more meaningful. It's the difference between "Hey, let's catch up" and "I noticed you wrote about ESG compliance – our banking team just tackled a similar issue." Thought leadership has evolved too. When you share insights through platforms like JD Supra, your knowledge doesn't just sit on your website hoping someone finds it. These platforms get your takes in front of the right eyeballs, sparking conversations that naturally lead to work. (I speak from experience!!) Here's the thing: While you're convinced all your work comes from referrals (and you're not wrong), those referral relationships are increasingly playing out across digital channels. Your competitors aren't just showing up at networking events – they're strategically visible where your potential clients spend their professional time. The good news? You don't have to become a tech wizard. You just need to be smart about using tools that amplify what you already do well: building trust and delivering value. #AddisAdvice