When you are marketing products and services it is crucial that you are able to build credibility with perspective clients. It is interesting to watch and see how salespeople that are as honest as the day is long can come across as untrustworthy by not paying attention to this important communication skill. Likewise, there are a vast number of less than honest folks that are perceived as paragons of integrity due to their ability to master necessary communication skills. This happens because credibility exists in the mind of the perceiver, it is a matter of perception and not fact. But how do we make sure that we meet the desired standards and make the grade?

The first key is to never tell perspective clients more than they can believe – even if its true. If they don’t think it can do what you are saying they will think you are exaggerating and you will lose credibility with them. One simple tip that is amazingly powerful to help you with this is to be willing and able to point out one or more negative aspects of your product and don’t kid yourself, every product has them. By doing this you calm their efforts to find objections and allow them to focus on the positives you are sharing.

The next key to building credibility is being precise. Instead of saying your product can save them 25% if it only will save them 22.4%, be precise and say 22.4%. 22.4% sounds believable while 25% sounds like you are making up a number or guessing.

Another great way to build credibility is by having positive reviews or comments from individuals that have nothing to gain from your sales. Testimonials carry a huge value that almost can’t be measured. If you doubt this take a moment and read the reviews of best selling products at Amazon and you will see that positive testimonials and unbiased reviews can add a massive amount of credibility to your message.

Finally, you can make a big impact by letting the perspective client know that you will not be personally gaining from the sale. “Whether you buy this product or not is fine with me, it doesn’t affect me, I am on salary, the decision is completely up to you.” This further helps to disarm a prospects defenses and allows you to work towards closing the deal based on the merits of your product or service.