People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!

Theodore Roosevelt said "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!"  How does that translate into life and into your business?  When starting a new business, it's our job to become experts in our fields and master the skills.  Yet, when you're sitting in front of your clients it doesn't matter how much you know if your clients don't think they can trust you.  

What is it that builds trust?  Becoming a master listener.  Before you start spewing out all the facts & figures, get to know your client so that you can tailor your presentation to THEIR needs.  Does it mean that you have to do a new presentation each time?  Of course not.  But if you take the time to understand who your client is, you can focus on the appropriate products that most benefit her.

Mary Kay used to say, take the dollar signs out of your eyes when you are with your clients.  If you will just take the time to learn what her needs are then the money will come.  I remember one time I had a client who wanted to purchase our entire collection and then wanted to add some additional products.  The problem was that I knew that the the products in the collection were already addressing the same needs as the additional products she wanted to purchase.  If I was just about the sale, I would have allowed her to purchase it all.  However, my goal is to make sure that I service my clients and build the trust between us.  When I recommended she not purchase the additional products she was shocked and genuinely thankful that I didn't let her buy what was not necessary.  As a result, anytime we have a new product that I know would benefit her she buys it sight unseen and has never been disappointed!  Trust is the difference between having a one-time sale and a lifetime client! 

Your clients just want to know that you have their best interest in mind.  Here's one more question to ask yourself to determine if you are a great listener.  With every person you come into contact with today, ask yourself what you learned about him/her.  If you can't answer that question, it means that you were doing all the talking... about you!  The greatest blessing is when each person that encounters you feels better about themselves after spending time with you.  So remember... people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!