4 Things That Make Your Prospects Suspicious

As you attempt to sell a product or a service to someone, you need to ask yourself the following question; ‘Do I appear trustworthy to my potential prospects?’ Establishing a trust basis is essential to being able to progress with the sales strategy. It doesn’t matter how effective your communication and methods are. If a prospect is suspicious of the brand, you are unlikely to close a deal. 

Taking the question a step further is to consider not what makes you trustworthy but what could make you appear untrustworthy or unreliable to prospects. People have become savvy. They are quick to recognize potential red flags when they get in touch with a new business. When your efforts are not meeting the expected results, it is essential to identify areas of improvement. People can make their first impression in a matter of a few seconds. Therefore, the first touchpoint between a prospect and a business needs to convey trust. What type of approaches can make a prospect suspicious of your business? Below, we’ve listed 4 strategies that instantly make people think twice about trusting your brand. 

#1. The honor offer with a price tag

It is a popular sales technique to make prospects feel valued. VIP events are a sales heaven in disguise. However, if you are going to play the ego card with your prospects, you need to consider your approach carefully. One of the latest trends in sales is to ‘offer’ recognition to your audience, single out the winners with a unique award. However, when the award comes with a sticker price, prospects are left wondering why someone would want to pay for an honor.

Recognition can lead to further sales, such as VIP clients receiving special discounted offers or early access to your products. However, the recognition per se should never come at a cost. Prospects are unlikely to feel valued if they are made to pay for their own honor award. More importantly, they are unlikely to want to proceed once they discover the hidden agenda. 

#2. The lack of a recognizable address

The pandemic has convinced many professionals of the benefits of working from home. Truth be told, you can achieve just as much from a home office as you would anywhere else. Remote workers praise the flexibility and tranquility of the home office for their enhanced productivity and creativity. You can also be more accessible and available to your prospects, as you’re less likely to be stuck in an impromptu office meeting. However, while working from home benefits your communication and relationship with prospects, you can’t promote your home address online. The absence of a business address can cause suspicion. Prospects want to check business credibility online. Google Maps and Google reviews are the first places most people refer to. Therefore, you will need to set a business physical address to share with your audience if you are working from home. A business mailing address can add credibility to your brand while remaining manageable from your home office. 

#3. Pushing the truth a little too far

Product and service promotions follow a specific type of communication. Promotional communication makes a promise to your audience group. It makes your product or service more appealing by highlighting its benefits. Unfortunately, promotional language can often inadvertently fall into the trap of false advertising, which happens when you claim advantages that are not real. One of the latest brands to have suffered a backlash from its false advertising campaigns is Volkswagen, which deceived customers with its supposedly ‘Clean DIesel’ cars while cheating emission tests. Unsubstantiated claims do your business harm. They can tarnish your brand’s credibility with long-term consequences. Prospects are less willing to trust the claims of a business that’s been caught lying in the past. 

#4. Failing to reply within acceptable times

Social media platforms offer a direct communication network with your audience group. However, it’s important to remember that social media platforms are a two-way communication system. Prospects and businesses can exchange ideas, discuss opinions, and cultivate a thematic debate online. Additionally, a lot of prospects are keen to reach out for queries and complaints via social media. As a result, you can’t afford to make them wait for an answer. Approximately 8 in 10 customers expect an answer in 24 hours on social media. However, 39% of users expect a brand to reply within 1 hour. Response time expectation varies depending on the platform you are using. Facebook users, for instance, expect to hear from a brand within 30 minutes. Unfortunately, slow responses can affect your credibility and reputation. 

Prospects make up their minds rapidly. Therefore, the first point of approach to a prospect needs to meet their expectations as precisely as possible. From feeling valued to receiving a timely response, prospects want businesses to be on their best behaviors to earn their trust. 

Related: Are You A Strategic Game Player?