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Leadership Expert

The Importance of

Have you ever experienced doubt that prompted you to pull salesperson promised? Am I confident in its reputation
away from a deal, which looked right but felt wrong? Perhaps and track record? What has been my past experience
you had decided on a major purchase: done your research with this or similar companies?
and found a vendor who had what you needed at a price 5. Do I trust the product or service’s ability to deliver? Do I
you thought was fair. It all looked good. The salesperson was believe that what is being offered will do the job I need
eager to close the deal, but something did not feel quite and expect?
right…so you went elsewhere to purchase the same product 6. Do I trust my own ability to utilize the product or service
or service. to its full potential? Is it simple or complex to use? Will
there be adequate customer support to enable me to
What happened? Often the issue is trust, or rather, a failure use the product or service to its full capacity?
of trust in the client/salesperson relationship. We prefer to
buy from someone we know, like, and trust. Sales professionals who understand the complexity of
trust know it is the simple element that engages clients as
Trust is a simple value, usually learned in childhood, but in partners in the sales process. They know that in sales, “trust
the sales relationship it is important and complex. As sales is the one thing that changes everything.”
professionals we must understand the varied aspects of trust
in order to foster a relationship with our clients that enables Adapted from: Wayne A. Vanwyck, Pure Selling, 2014
Steven M.R Covey, The Speed of Trust, Free Press, 2006, p1
us to provide them with the solutions they seek.
Murray’s knowledge of sales and leadership has been earned through
From the client’s perspective, six interrelated dimensions of a career that started as a small business entrepreneur wearing “all the
trust are at play in most sales transactions: hats”. He then transitioned into a professional sales and leadership career
in the insurance industry, where his passion for training and leadership
development was recognized in his appointment as a Senior Manager.
1. Do I trust the salesperson’s integrity? Do I perceive this Since 2008, Murray has been a part-time faculty
salesperson as honest and truthful? Do they put my member at Kitchener, Ontario’s Conestoga College,
interests over their own interests? School of Business. He currently teaches within the
2. Do I trust the salesperson’s credibility? Do I experience “Leadership Development Series,” a program helping
managers and management candidates understand
confidence in their knowledge, skills and experience with and implement the principles of effective leadership.
the product or service in question? Murray Smith
3. Do I trust the salesperson’s knowledge and understanding The Achievement Centre
of my needs? Do I feel my unique needs have been P: 519.572.5977
msmith@TACresults.com
sufficiently investigated? Am I confident that the
solutions offered align with my needs?
4. Do I trust the company’s ability to deliver what the

18 www.cambridgechamber.com
Winter 2019