How can you build trust with a process?

How can making your team follow a script, or rolling out a new CRM, a new compensation plan, or any changes to what the team is currently used to doing build trust?

It definitely won’t build loyalty. But it can build trust.

Keep in mind though, as I discussed in the Leadership blog last week [https://www.sellingeffectiveness.com/giving-and-earning-trust] – it doesn’t start with trust.

Even when you hire someone new, they don’t trust you – especially for sales.

Think of it from their perspective…someone in a position of power, maybe in a suit, is telling them about all the opportunities available, how great the job is, how satisfying it is to sell people, and how much money they can make. Sounds great.

In theory.

Until they make their own sales – starting with their first one – they won’t fully believe it. It’s just a story that someone in a suit told them. They accept the job offer and it becomes a “I will believe it when I see it and do it for myself” mode in their mind. (Side note – this is why it is so critical to help your new salespeople close their first sale as quickly as possible…the longer it takes to make a sale…the more they think they were ‘sold a story’ during the recruiting process.)

Remember – you can’t ask anyone to trust you. You must show them that they can. You earn their trust.

And what we want is trust that will lead to loyalty.

The way your sales operation’s processes and systems build trust is by their effectiveness.

Does your sales script work? Did someone who knows what they are doing build it around the best practices of selling effectiveness? Has that script been proven to help new or mediocre salespeople get bigger, better, quicker results?

Does the marketing processes and funnels lead to more and better-quality leads?

Does the CRM help those who want to use it stay organized and on top of  their sales pipeline, ultimately leading to closing more deals and making more money?

Are the right people (you know…the ones that are in line with your mission, vision, and core values…and follow the sales process you have outlines, and get the results that you desire) making money, and in a way that looks effortless?

What do your current systems and processes relay to the team?

Do they communicate that the business leadership knows how to run a successful business where the systems and processes are there to support everyone (customers, salespeople, other teams) success?

This doesn’t mean things won’t change. Or that some of the team aren’t winning.

But the key is that your team should understand the WHY for any change, every process, and every system in place.

What doesn’t build trust?

“This is how we have always done it.”

“I don’t know…not sure why we do it that way.”

“I have never seen anyone use that/follow that/log into that.”

“The person who wrote/built/rolled that out had no idea about sales.”

“I bet I could do it better.”

“If I was in charge…”

That means you have a low trust vibe in the team.

And if they don’t trust you and what you build and roll out – they won’t want to use it, perform, or stay.

You definitely won’t get their loyalty if they don’t trust you.

Conclusion

High trust teams are a combination of mission, vision, core values and transparency.



This will build trust.

Remember – you don’t always have to be perfect. Mistakes, misjudgments happen.  Admit to them, regroup, realign, and be transparent with the team.