The Know, Like and Trust Factor is a straightforward concept-it says that people work with businesses they Know, Like and Trust. It’s a great concept, but to be successful, you must fully understand how to LEVERAGE the Know, Like and Trust Factor to get clients.

Think about it this way: If you go to a networking event and hand out your business cards without making real connections, you’re probably not going to get clients from that networking activity. To attract clients, you need to build relationships while networking.

Also, having a one-sided conversation with a potential client won’t help in attracting clients. No one likes to be talked at. To get clients, you need to build relationships.

When people know who you are, like you, and trust you, they want to do business with you.

So, that brings us to the question, “How do potential clients get to know you?”

You have to be in front of potential clients in order for them to get to know you. The first step is getting them to KNOW that you exist. You do this by marketing and offering value, NOT BY SELLING. Online, this can be done by creating a mailing list, social networking, article marketing, press releases, blogging, etc. Offline, you can do things like networking or public speaking.

Ultimately, you need to be NOTICED. Clients have to know you exist before they can get to know more about you.

Once potential clients KNOW who you are, they need to have the opportunity to LIKE you.

It’s rare to buy something from someone you don’t like, and if you do, it’s even more unlikely you will buy from them again. Think about it: Have you ever been in a store, ordered at a restaurant, or hired a service provider only to find that you didn’t like the person who helped you solve your problem? Maybe they were rude, or maybe they provided poor service. It probably annoyed you that you had to pay them.

Today I was speaking with a client who told me she had found THE web designer that she wanted to work with for her website redesign. The designer had marketing experience, had great information on his site, and created beautiful, high-converting designs. So, she filled out his “request a quote” form with the intention of hiring him to redesign her site. But, the designer didn’t get back to her, so a week later she emailed him. A couple days after that, she left a voicemail. He finally called her back and apologized, saying he had been really busy, and then he asked her to remind him about the details of her project. Ouch! Huh?

Needless to say, she isn’t going to work with that designer. Although he got himself KNOWN, he dropped the ball on the LIKE factor.

Getting people to LIKE you enough to work with you is part of your marketing strategy. You can do this by keeping in touch. Let potential clients know how important they are to you. Connect with them.

Other ways to get potential clients to LIKE you is to give value, to be authentic, and to share information about yourself and the problems you solve. Be a real person, show your face, and use pictures and video. Share stories about yourself (that pertain to your expertise).

Clients don’t want to work with a nameless, faceless company. They want to connect with a person whom they KNOW.

This brings us to Trust. Trust is the foundation of ALL relationships.

Trust is given by those who know you and like you. At this point, potential clients want to see that what you’re offering is as valuable as YOU say it is. They want to know that what you offer is going to solve the problem YOU say it solves. They need “Social Proof” (i.e., testimonials) that show you are valued by your current clients.

Trust is also built by proving your value directly. You can do this by giving something away. It could be a free report, a white paper, or a case study. The idea is that you’re giving away something-something you created once and give over and over again-that shows how valuable what you’re offering is. The idea you are trying to get across is that, if the free stuff is SO GOOD, imagine how terrific the stuff you have to pay for is.

Trust is built by helping others. So, help potential clients BEFORE they buy. Offer them value. Connect them with others. Refer them.

Another way to build trust is to make it easy for potential clients to get in touch with you and be responsive. Keep your promises. Respond promptly.

To make the sale, potential clients need to TRUST that you have the expertise to solve their problems. This TRUST is what makes them willing to pay you to solve it.

You know the saying: Everyone likes to buy, but no one wants to be sold.

Trust is the key that turns the lock. It is your most powerful tool for getting clients.

Here’s your Fieldwork:

Look at your website, your marketing copy, and your approach to networking; and decide, on a scale of 1-10, how well potential clients are getting to know you.

Then, brainstorm and create a list with steps you can take to give potential clients the opportunity to learn that you exist and to get to know you better.

Do the same thing for your “Like Factor.” Ask yourself, “Am I giving potential clients a chance to like me? Am I providing them with enough information and contact so that they can like me?” Rate your answers on a scale of 1-10.

Then, brainstorm and create a list of ways you can get potential clients to like you.

Finally, take a look at your “TRUST factor.” Are you helping clients TRUST you? Rate, on a scale of 1-10, how you are doing in the TRUST department.

Then, brainstorm ways that you can improve, so potential clients can learn to trust you. Think about ways you can show them that you are trustworthy.

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