Community involvement can demonstrate credibility

For the past couple of columns, we’ve been discussing the five steps toward gaining trust, the first three of which are propriety, an intent statement and commonality. The next step is credibility.

You’ve accomplished the first couple of stages and you’re thinking, “I’ve captured the common ground, so now what do I do with it?” The answer is to move on. Your destination is the next step. Destination is proving your personal credibility to your clients. The amount of time you invest in establishing credibility will vary according to a number of factors.

In this credibility stage, you may talk about your time in your industry, the types of products you sell, the product’s required investments, your company, the industry, your clients, your client’s level of need and your level of sophistication. This step is all about presenting these findings.

This is where it would be highly recommended to have a book your prospects can sift through containing pictures of you interacting with your clients and the variety of client events that are held in their honor. Also, add to your book any Letters of Recommendation you have earned. For example, I have inserted letters from clients we helped solve major estate problems they dealt with for years. I also included a letter I received from a state senator thanking us for our work on a difficult Medi-Cal case. Both letters and pictures will paint an impressive portrait of where your prospects can envision themselves and the kind of top level service they will receive as a client.