37 Ways to Inspire Confidence in Your Prospects

In my last post, I discussed the role risk plays in preventing people from making purchasing decisions. The greater the risk, the less likely a person is to buy. Which means, the more you can reduce the perception of risk in buyers’ minds, the more sales you’ll make.

So how can you increase your prospect’s confidence that buying from you is the safe choice? Here are 37 ways:

1. Testimonials
2. Case studies
3. Photos
4. Video
5. Free shipping
6. Generous return policy
7. 24/7 customer support
8. Guarantee
9. Warranty
10. Extended warranty
11. Demos
12. Free trial
13. Free samples
14. Degrees
15. Certifications
16. Awards
17. Rankings
18. Third-party reviews
19. Ratings from review sites
20. Articles you’ve written
21. Media stories about you
22. Length of time in business
23. Length, depth, or breadth of your expertise
24. Track record
25. Number of customers
26. Percentage of market share
27. Names of well-known customers
28. Celebrity endorsements
29. Give prospects a tour of your facility
30. Introduce them to other members of your team
31. Give them your cell phone number
32. Let them talk with existing clients
33. Cleanliness of facility
34. Grooming and attire
35. Production value of marketing materials
36. Be active on social media
37. Resolve complaints on social media quickly

The more of these strategies you can implement, the more confidence you can inspire and the less risk your prospect will perceive. So employ as many as possible.

Not only can reducing perceived risk boost your overall sales, it can also reduce objections, shorten your sales cycle (thus improving cash flow), and stimulate more referrals. It can even increase your profit margin, because people will happily pay more for the safety of not wasting their money.

People are most likely to buy when the risk is lowest. Which means they buy what and where the risk is lowest. And if your company, product, or service is the lowest-risk option, that’s the choice your prospect is most likely to make. Inspire more confidence in your buyers and you’ll induce more sales.