Build trust with consumers to gain their business

Connecting with people and building trust is key to doing business in today’s market.

Research shows that 81 percent of business comes after the fifth contact with someone, according to Jon Goldman, president of Brand Launcher, a business and marketing strategy firm.

“Only two percent of sales come after the first contact,” Goldman adds. “That means you need to connect with people in order for them to trust you and to want to do business with you. The most important piece is nurturing relationships with potential clients.

“Shifting how you interact with people – from selling agent to a welcomed guest helps you go from simply a real estate vendor to an expert. And that’s powerful,” he says. “When a person has decided to choose you to buy or sell a home, it means they like and trust you to do business with. They want to be under your care.”

Goldman recommends using edu-tainment – both educating and entertaining potential clients – because one doesn’t work without the other. “You have to embrace that atmosphere both online and offline,” he said. “People want information and when you educate them, you earn their trust. Trust leads to sales.”

He promises to share the single most powerful word in marketing during his Triple Play presentation, “Five Marketing Secrets.” “The most persuasive word will help you get 93 percent of people to do things for you and I’ll demonstrate how this word can be used in real estate marketing,” he said.

Consumers are bombarded with more than 3,300 messages a day. “You’ve got to overcome those messages to get their attention and you must have a promise,” he adds. “Most won’t believe your promise so you have to have evidence that shows you’ll fulfill the promise you make to them.

“The mistake too many people make is going for consumers’ wallets first,” Goldman said. “You must first go for their hearts, then their heads, then the wallet. You have to give people a reason to trust and believe in you before they want to do business with you.”

Goldman will present two sessions at the Triple Play Realtors® Convention in Atlantic City, December 8-11. His programs include: “Five Marketing Secrets” and “Managing a Multi-Generational Workforce.”