A bold statement, right? That is why we would like to discuss it with you. In 2016, sales and consulting merge seamlessly. The traditional salesperson has been replaced by the advisory salesperson. To ensure that your customer trusts you and is willing to accept your advice, you must exude authority. Do you spend enough time building your authority?

A seller must be credible

It's a hot topic on our blog; the development of the 'seller's profession'. In today's economy, networking and building and maintaining a business relationship is no longer enough. As a salesperson you don't just have to be good to communicate, but also hold your own in terms of content. In many industries today, consultants have been transformed into salespeople, and vice versa. As a seller in 2016 you must above all be credible. You need to be an authority in your field to stand out in a cutthroat competitive landscape. And you don't just build that authority during the sales process. You also have to show yourself in advance. Not everyone can be a 'guru', but you can do everything you can to ensure that your customer takes you seriously. How? We have listed a number of tips for you.

Tips to strengthen your authority

As mentioned, not everyone can do one charismatic guru are with a natural appeal, energy and appearance. And that is not necessary at all. The rise of the internet, and especially social media, has made it a lot easier to share your knowledge and skills without having to label yourself as a 'guru'.

Blogging & publishing

Nowadays, networking largely takes place online. Via Linkedin, Twitter and even increasingly Facebook. Online networking stands or falls with content. What do you have to say to your target audience? Blogs and other types of publications, such as posting articles on Linkedin or publishing white papers, are ideal ways to show your knowledge and skills to your customers, relations and prospects. Write about your motivation, your working method, your profession, your company and of course the solutions you can offer. Don't be afraid to show your expertise.

Workshop/trainings

Selling is investing. Investing in trust and building a valuable relationship. A very interesting way to do lead generation (or upsell to existing customers) is by giving workshops and training. Have you noticed that your customer is struggling with an issue? Then offer to organize a session about this for free. Remarkably, customers are often poorly informed about what you have to offer. It would be a shame to lose sales opportunities due to a lack of knowledge on the part of your customer. So make sure they know what you can do.

Recommendations

Word of mouth marketing has been a household name for many years. Also for sellers. There is no more powerful sales argument than the recommendation of someone else, especially if that person is also highly respected by your customer or prospect. On channels such as Linkedin, more and more emphasis is placed on the phenomenon of 'recommendation'. In short, recommendations by others. Use this to your advantage and ask valued customers with whom you have a good relationship to write such a recommendation for you.

Naming cases

One of the best ways to build trust during a sales process is to show that you have done it before and that your customer's challenge is not unknown territory for you. Cases are crucial in this. Where possible, always show as many powerful cases as possible. During your presentations, but also in your online publications. Explain your customer's challenge, including the solution you provided. Of course, always in consultation and with the approval of your customer.