What are you doing to inspire trust in your business?

I have dreamed of taking a long road trip to visit with friends from my childhood in Peru, high school, college and people I have met and become friends with as a coach. In planning the specifics of this dream, I also decided I would visit several national parks and kayak on a number of rivers and lakes. Recognizing that my old Ford Escape had too many miles on it and was facing some expensive repairs, I decided to buy a replacement SUV. After some research I settled on a Subaru Forester and found a used 2015 model.

Beth and I looked at how to make all of this possible, and as part of the process I decided to sell my Escape rather than trade it in. The selling experience itself was an exercise in faith and setting intent. Why?

Well I was intentional and focused. I did research for suggestions and tips and followed a plan. I invested in having the vehicle detailed, gathered all my old maintenance records, took pictures of my clean, detailed car and posted on Craigslist.

Within an hour I had inquiries about the car. Two stood out, so I made appointments to meet at a local restaurant. First I saw a brother and sister who liked the car because it was clean and well-maintained. The second person was a graduate student from Germany. What a nice young man. He was interested and wanted to pay to have a mechanic go over the car, exercising due diligence.

While the Escape was being inspected, I invited the student back to my house for coffee. We had a wide-ranging conversation. He brought a unique German perspective to current events in the US. When we returned to the car, we learned that the mechanic had found an age-related problem that would need to be attended to, so I agreed to reduce the asking price. I hadn’t known about the problem, but it didn’t surprise me. We went to the buyer’s bank, and he paid cash.

When he drove me home, I suggested that we stop for a snack and a beer. While we were eating, I asked why he decided to buy the car—what was his buying decision? He told me that the car looked good, literally. Most of the cars he had been looking at were in poor repair, had ripped seats, faded paint, etc. Then he said, “I got a good feeling about you, and then you asked me to your house for coffee. I knew then that I would buy your car. Even when the mechanic’s report came, I knew we could work it out.” So even though his original buying strategy was visual, getting a good feeling was kinesthetic and was ultimately what mattered.

In thinking about this experience, I realized it was consistent with a book I recently read, Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini. Without conscious thought I had employed one of the strategies Cialdini describes. Inviting the prospective buyer to my house for coffee created trust.

Whom do we open our homes to? People we like and/or trust. Rather than being logical, many buying decisions are made based on “good feelings.” How often have you invested in someone or something because it felt right?

What are you doing to help potential clients trust you? How do you encourage good feelings for your business?