Buyers Expect Accurate Self-Assessment. They want sellers who understand and acknowledge their own limitations, sellers who seek and accept help when needed. Your buyers will not trust you if you try to Fake It 'til You Make It in Sales. That's a sure-fire recipe for failure.
In our continuing series on the 12 Dimensions of Trust, each of the 12 dimensions represents one of the 12 ways a seller can build or erode trust with buyers. Each associated action creates a connection or causes a disconnection. Knowing about all 12 Dimensions of Trust empowers a seller who wants strong connections founded in trust. Not knowing leads to buyer mistrust and seller confusion. Accurate self-assessment is the final dimension, the one that explains why you can't Fake It 'til You Make It in Sales.
This dimension of trust goes hand-in-hand with “strives to learn” and the first dimension of trust, competence. A seller must be competent and also willing to acknowledge his or her own deficits. Over-estimating one’s own abilities results in sub-par performance, delays and missed opportunities. Asking questions to understand what is expected and what alternatives are acceptable will help sellers see more clearly what resources they will need in order to fully satisfy their buyers.