Do your clients see you as an authority?

There is a natural human law of influence that states that we tend to believe those that we see as credible authority figures. While we might want to dispute this, thinking that we are more logical than others, research does indicate that authority does indeed play a big role in how we make decisions and who we choose to believe.

How does this law of authority impact a sales process?

Let’s start with how we show up to the meeting. What are we wearing? Yes, the world in many ways is more casual now than it was say 20 years ago – but we still need to dress professionally. While a suit and tie may not be necessary, we need to be a step or two above shorts and a ball cap.

Think about the physical surroundings of your meeting. If you’re conducting a meeting over the computer, what is your background saying about you? If possible, use a branded corporate background. If you are meeting in person, make sure the meeting room is clean and tidy. If you have credentials, frame them and put them up in your office so your customers can see them. If you’ve got testimonials from other satisfied customers or key metrics showing your success in certain areas of the business, these are good to have on hand as well.

Now let’s talk about how you run the meeting. Or do you? Every meeting should have a clear objective with an agenda and a timeline. This means you are well prepped for a meeting – you have an idea of what you know and what you need to learn about this customer. When you start the meeting, share the agenda with your customer and align on the purpose of the meeting. You should also confirm that they still have the time available – you don’t want to get 30 minutes into a 60-minute meeting and hear that your customer needs to leave in five minutes.

You will likely have some time at the end of the meeting to talk about your product. Be the most knowledgeable person in the room on your product – be able to speak to specifics on why your products work the way they do and how your customer will benefit from that.

Authorities don’t have to tell you they are the authority, it’s made obvious through their words and actions. Before your next client meeting, take a minute and think about how you can establish credibility with your client and increase your effectiveness as an authority on your product or service!