You never want to have a client that does not trust you. A lack of trust completely ruins a project. Without trust, it’s not easy, and sometimes not even possible, to get a client on board with your ideas. All projects, big or small, need to have everyone on board.
Here are some of the most effective ways to get clients to trust you and your ideas.
Explain the “Why?”
Clients need to know why you’re doing something, not just that you’re doing it. It’s a simple thing, but a vital one. You may be super experienced and have been doing something for so long that it’s just second nature. You barely think about the why, but your client doesn’t have that same experience.
“You can’t expect someone to do something if you don’t tell them WHY they should do it.” – Yes and Yes
Explaining why strengthens your relationship with the client through trust. You’re showing that you care that they understand what exactly you’re doing, which makes them feel as if they can trust you not to undermine them. It also establishes your expertise. By explaining why something is done the way you’re doing it, the client knows that you understand what you’re doing inside and out.
Know Who You’re Talking To
When planning out something such as a proposal, of course, you need to script it so you’re clear and to the point, but you also need to give yourself the freedom to change that script depending on who you’re talking to.
“Shape your story for the audience. Strategize how you’ll sell your initiative to different groups of colleagues and higher-ups. “Think about the language you’ll use for each of your audiences,” says [Susan] Ashford.” – Harvard Business Review
By shaping what you have to say to the individual you are speaking to, your client will be a lot more likely to both understand what you have to say and trust what you have to say.
Be Passionate About It
Passion is the number one thing that will get people to listen. People want to work with someone who is genuinely passionate about what they’re doing, and it’s an easy quality to see.
“People will want to work with you if they can see your passion for the job. The types of people that you want on your team are those who know that passion drives success.” – Cameron Herold
Passion makes you persistent. A client can trust that a passionate person will get the job done. It’s a quality that drives success and pushes the client to be passionate about what you’re doing as well.
Acknowledge Criticism
There is often outside criticism for any idea in business. It can be tempting to ignore it, but no matter what you do to brush it aside, the client is still going to hear it. If you don’t acknowledge it, this plants a seed of doubt in the client that will inevitable fester.
“But conflict shakes people up and gets them to pay attention in a novel way. This gives you the opportunity to say why your idea really is valuable and explain it in a way that wins over hearts and minds – securing their commitment to implementing the solution.” – John Kotter on Forbes
By acknowledging the criticism, you get the chance to assure your client why it isn’t valid or, maybe you can learn something from it. Either way, acknowledging the criticism is the only way to stop it from negatively impacting your client’s trust.
Trust is one of the most vital things in any relationship, especially one’s with your clients. Trust gets the people you need fully on board. Without a client’s trust it’s nearly impossible for the project to be successful.
If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!
