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When you make a sale, the first thing you do is celebrate the victory. That’s OK for a minute or two, but then you have to make more sales.

What you should do after a sale is determine how the sale was made and why the customer bought from you. This critical information will lead you to the next sale in half the time. Or less.

For years I have employed this sales law: If they like you, and they believe you, and they have confidence in you, and they trust you – then they may buy from you.

In sales and business relationships, why does one person trust another person? Trust is a perception and a realization. It’s based on initial feelings and perceptions by the prospective customer – value perception being a huge one. If prospects feel value, they will begin to believe, have confidence and maybe even purchase.

Relationships are based on trust. Engagements and interactions over time, and words and deeds over time. They’re based on a past history of performance. Trust is not given. Trust is earned. And trust is not earned in a day; it’s earned day by day.

It may take two years to earn trust. But it only takes one minute to lose it. And the difference is two letters – UN – truth or untruth.

Why do you trust somebody? Think about the criteria in your mind that create permission to trust someone else. Then think of the people you trust and ask yourself why do I trust him or her? Reliability? Consistency? Long-term friendship? A giving person? A truthful person? An understanding person? A person whose words, thoughts and deeds you have come to rely on and depend on in times of need? Is it someone who performs these things for you without any motive? Without any agenda? Without any expectation of something in return?

Many of the answers you come up with as to why you trust others can lead you to your own game plan to become trustworthy.

Here are some simple elements of trust that you must MASTER in order to make it possible for a relationship to blossom:

Tell the truth. This is the No. 1 element of trust AND relationships. Once truth has been violated, trust evaporates and may never return.

Deliver what you promise. People hope and expect you to deliver on promises.

Do what you say you will do. This is a test for being reliable and trustworthy.

Communicate in a timely manner. Rapid response shows you are responsible, on top of it, and that you care.

Bring value beyond your product or service. What you do to help others become more successful will be a true reflection of your character.

Be on time. Being on time shows you respect the other person’s time. It also proves your reliability.

Be friendly. Smiling people are the gateway to open communication. It costs no extra money to be friendly.

Be sincere. This can only come from belief in what you do, loving what you do and caring for others. Not just being true to others; being true to yourself. Sincerity comes from within.

Be consistent. Trust is not a once-in-a-while thing. It’s a constant thing. You can’t be on time one day and late the next. You can’t be friendly one day and rude the next. I believe this element is the most difficult to master, because it combines all the other elements.

Give trust. You become trustworthy by giving trust to others.

In sales, in business and in personal relationships of all kind, trust is THE critical element. It’s the glue that binds all the other elements together. Without it, the relationship will fade, diminish or die.

What are you doing to breed trust?

What are you doing to build trust?

What are you doing to guard and protect the trust you’ve built?

I trust you will work on it.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2008 Jeffrey H. Gitomer