Powerful Women Rising - A Business Podcast for Female Entrepreneurs

Mastering the Know, Like, and Trust Factor for Business Growth

• Melissa Snow - Powerful Women Rising, LLC • Episode 71

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We've all heard about the "know, like, and trust" factor but what is it really, how do you get it and how does it contribute to your business growth?

In this episode, I'll show you how genuine, value-driven networking can foster mutually beneficial relationships.  We''ll dig into what it means for someone to know, like and trust you and why it matters if they do.  I'll also show you how to up the know, like and trust factor in your life and share some ways you might be sabotaging it without even realizing.

If you want to leverage your personal connections and authenticity to build a stronger more successful business, this episode is for you!

Mentioned in this episode:
Bob Burg - author of The Go-Giver and Endless Referrals
Begin With Trust

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To learn more about the Powerful Women Rising Community or to register for our next Virtual Speed Networking Event, go to www.powerfulwomenrising.com

Speaker 1:

Tired of following all the expert advice and still not seeing results. Welcome to Powerful Women Rising, the podcast where we ditch the rulebook and build businesses with authenticity, integrity and a whole lot of fun. Join host Melissa Snow, business relationship strategist and founder of the Powerful Women Rising community, as she interviews top experts and shares candid insights on business strategy, marketing, mindset and more. It's all about growing your business your way through genuine connections and being your true self. Let's get real, get inspired and rise together. This is Powerful Women Rising.

Speaker 2:

Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode of the Powerful Women Rising podcast. I'm your host, melissa Snow. Do you like my snappy new jingle? I'm not sure how I feel about it. I feel like it's very long and a little auto-tuney, and we're working on it. But progress over perfection, and that's what we've got today. So here we go, moving right along Today's episode.

Speaker 2:

We are talking about the know, like and trust factor in business, and I am excited to talk about this topic because know, like and trust is something that you have probably heard a million times. But what does it really mean? Why does it actually matter and what does it have to do with you and your business growth? I often think people know me, people like me, people trust me. I got it nailed there. We go Moving on. But today we're going to talk about some things that you might be doing that are sabotaging your efforts for know, like and trust, and we're're going to talk about some things that you might be doing that are sabotaging your efforts for no like and trust, and we're also going to talk about some simple things that you can start doing or maybe just start doing more that are going to help increase the amount of no like and trust in your business. So first I want to talk about what no like and trust actually is and where it comes from.

Speaker 2:

There is an author, bob Berg Y'all are probably very familiar with him. He wrote a book called the Go-Giver, which is a very popular book in business. Another book of his is called Endless Referrals, which is great about networking, and he defines networking as the cultivating of mutually beneficial, beneficial Give and Take, win-win Relationships, and he puts the emphasis on the give part right. It's more about giving than it is about taking. This is something I talk about a lot when I speak about providing value and how that is such an important part of networking and creating relationships with people. So Bob says that when doing this correctly, with a genuine caring about the other person, with a focus on their needs, their wants, their desires, and when following a proven system of application, you can truly accelerate both your direct and referral business. That leads to what Bob calls the golden rule of networking and that is, all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people they know like and trust. I'm going to read that again because a lot of people miss that first part. All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust. He says this is the essence of networking. In fact, he says if you were to keep only that one sentence in mind whenever meeting or transacting with anyone, you will be nine steps ahead in a 10-step game. All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.

Speaker 2:

Now, I mentioned earlier a lot of people miss that first part, the all things being equal, and I want to talk about that a little bit because it's important. What he means by that is, if everything is at least close to equal you have a similar product, you have a similar price point, you have a similar expertise or some other determining factor as your competitor, the one who gets the sale will be the one who successfully created the know, like and trust relationship. That means that if you have an inferior product or service, no matter how much you are known like and trusted, you are never going to get that business If everything is the same or close to the same, but the other company can deliver it within the timeframe that the client needs and you can't if your product is the same, but your rates are different. That is going to make a difference, no matter how much you are known, liked and trusted. So, yes, know, like and trust is important, but it's not all there is. You still have to be able to perform. You still have to be able to deliver what you've promised at the right time at the right price.

Speaker 2:

And I want to make sure that that is clear, because a lot of times, people get caught up and like well, there's all these people who know, like and trust me, so why am I not making money Right? I went through this a lot when I was a dating coach prior to launching the Powerful Women Rising community, because there were so many people that were like oh, I love her, she's great, she's fabulous, yeah, she's the best. But I'm like why aren't these people paying me money Right? So I had to figure out is it the product that I'm offering? Is it the way that I'm offering it? Is it the price point? What is missing here? Because people seem to know, like and trust me, but that's not translating to business. So if that is true for you, you want to look at some of those elements and figure out why know, like and trust is not translating to business and sales for you.

Speaker 2:

If you think about it in your own life, if you come up with an example from your own life of somebody that you hired recently, or some product that you needed or service that you needed to hire out. If you were looking for someone, let's say, to clean your house every other week and you had your choice between someone who was available the exact days that you wanted, had your choice between someone who was available the exact days that you wanted, someone who had the exact same price point. Everything was the same. They're both bonded and insured. They're both seem like nice people, but one of them has been your friend's house cleaner for the last year and a half and your friend is like, oh my gosh, she's amazing, know her, love her, like her, trust her. Who are you going to hire to clean your house? Probably that person, right. People nowadays are so worried about being scammed or being taken advantage of or paying for something that is not what they thought they were paying for and not being able to get their money back, especially in the online business space. So I feel like it's more important now than ever for people to be doing business with someone that they know, like and trust. So that's why this is important and that's why we're talking about it today.

Speaker 2:

So I want to talk first about the importance of knowing you can't like or trust someone that you don't know. That makes sense, right. Knowing is all about visibility and awareness, but it's also about being real. In order for people to know you, you have to put yourself out there, and you have to do it consistently. If you are a ghost on social media, if you never attend networking events, or you don't have an email list, or you have an email list that you don't send emails to, there is no way for people to get to know you, and people can't buy from you if they don't know that you exist. And while being consistently visible is important, it's even more important that you do it like a human and not like a salesy weirdo.

Speaker 2:

The reason that I say this is because people need to know not just who you are and what you do before they can consider doing business with you, but they also want to know you as a person. They want to know what your values are. They want to know what you're passionate about, how your energy feels to be around, and what you and your life are like outside of your business. People want to know you as a business owner and entrepreneur, but they also want to know you as a human. This is one of the reasons that I cringe every time there are people at networking events who, anytime they open their mouth to speak, it's always about their business, right? We're saying, hey, everybody, what's your celebration this month? And so-and-so is like, oh, I got to see my new grandbaby. And so-and-so is like, oh, I ran my first half marathon. And then Susie over here is like I got my client this amazing result because I am so good at what I do. And then the next round, there's an opportunity to share something else, for us to get to know you as a human. But Susie is here again with like, oh, my business and my business, and did I mention I have a business and I'm so great at it? Right? People want to know you as a human.

Speaker 2:

This is also one of the reasons that it's not helpful when everything that you post on social media is about your business. This might show people that you're a credible expert, but it's not helping people get to know you. And this is important because people are naturally drawn to brands and individuals that they find relatable and approachable. But if you're all business all the time and people never get a chance to know you, it's going to be hard for them to relate to you. So let's talk about some of the things that increase or decrease the knowing factor.

Speaker 2:

One of the things that allows people to know you better is to show up consistently, whether it is on social media, in blog posts, on your YouTube channel, at networking events, speaking events, podcast interviews. Those are also great ways to put yourself out there and allow more people to get to know you. So, basically, anything you can do to create connections with other human beings and show them who you are is going to increase the no. Another part of increasing the no is authenticity, because it's not enough to just show up consistently. The way that you show up and what you do when you show up also matters. If you put on that mask of successful business owner every time, that is not going to attract people to you. That is not going to help people know you. When you are genuine and real, people will find you more approachable and more relatable, and that is going to make them want to know you even more.

Speaker 2:

The third thing I recommend, if you want to give people the opportunity to know you more, is sharing stories. Sharing stories about your business journey, about the ups and downs of being a business owner, the celebrations that you've had, the learning curves that you've endured All of those things will humanize you and your business. You don't want people to see you as a perfectly polished professional all the time because that person is not relatable or approachable, and you don't want them to see your business as a cold, sterile factory where you're just bringing money in and outputting products or services over and over on repeat. Right, you want them to see that you are a human and sharing stories is a great way to do that.

Speaker 2:

On the opposite end, what decreases knowing, what makes it more difficult for people to have the no factor with you, is inactivity, not putting yourself out there, inconsistency, not putting yourself out there consistently or putting yourself out there consistently. But you're a different person every time, right? That doesn't help people get to know you If today you are presenting yourself in one way and then tomorrow you're a totally different person who seems to have different values, different ethics, different morals. That does not help people know you better. Another thing that decreases the no is lack of engagement. So you may be putting yourself out there on social media, you may be showing up at networking events, but if you're not actively engaging with people, especially the people who are trying to engage with you, not only are you not giving them a chance to get to know you, but you're also probably decreasing the amount that they like you. So let's move into the like factor, liking. If knowing is your lead magnet, then liking is your nurture sequence.

Speaker 2:

This is all about deepening your relationships and building a sense of loyalty with your customers. People do business with people that they like. It's as simple as that. Liking someone involves having a personal connection to them, and it is built through relatability, authenticity and shared values. Built through relatability, authenticity and shared values. Imagine you meet two different people at a networking event and one talks to you nonstop about their business, tells you all of these great achievements that they've made, all of these amazing results that their clients have had, but they don't show any interest in you. The other person that you meet shares about themselves, but they also ask about your business. You guys laugh. You find some common grounds. Who are you more likely to connect with after this meeting. It's definitely the one that asked about you, that shared things with you on a human level that you could relate to, that you enjoyed being around.

Speaker 2:

Now I want to be clear about one thing, and this is very important Not everyone is going to like you, and that is okay. You know why? Because you don't like everyone. And I think this is important for us to remember, because when we talk about know, like and trust, we're not talking about trying to get every person on the planet to know, like and trust you. Some people just aren't going to like you, no matter what you do. Some people just aren't going to trust you, no matter what you do. So this is about getting the right people to know, like and trust you, just as any other aspect of marketing is about attracting the right people to you and repelling the wrong ones away. So I don't want you to get caught up in this idea that you need to be likable to everyone because you don't.

Speaker 2:

There are, however, a few things that you can do to increase your chances of being liked. First is consistent branding. Consistent branding increases familiarity. Branding isn't just about colors and fonts and catchy taglines, but those things help people become more familiar with you and your brand. They make you more recognizable, and when you consistently maintain these visual elements, or your messaging or your tone, whatever it is that you're about, across all platforms, customers can easily recognize you and remember you and they feel safer with you because they feel like they know exactly what to expect, unlike brands that are all over the place and you never know which one you're going to get.

Speaker 2:

Today, a great example of this is Starbucks. I worked at Starbucks when I was in college and at that time, one of Starbucks' big claims to fame was that they had never spent money on marketing. They didn't need to spend money on marketing because they were so consistent. One of the things that people love the most about Starbucks is that you can walk into the Starbucks that's down the street from me. You can walk into a Starbucks in Israel. You can walk into a Starbucks in Guatemala and order the same drink, and it is going to taste exactly the same. It is going to come in a cup that looks the same way. You are going to get it from the same smiling face in a green apron. Their branding and their product is consistent, and so people feel familiar with it, they feel comfortable with it, they like it and they stay loyal to it.

Speaker 2:

Another thing that increases the like factor is authentic engagement and communication. So actively engaging with your audience on social media or with people in real life or in your email newsletters not only helps keep you top of mind, but it gives people more opportunities to learn about you and to find more reasons to like you. But I'm not just talking about engagement for engagement's sake. I'm not talking about those lame Facebook posts that are like one has to go pajamas, coffee, tacos or Netflix. That's a hard one, actually. I don't know which one I would pick Now I'm distracted. What I'm actually talking about is responding thoughtfully on someone else's post, actively listening and asking questions.

Speaker 2:

When you're speaking one-on-one with somebody, remembering an important event that's coming up in their life and sending a card or checking in with them. All of these things allow people to see you as a real likable person. The things that decrease liking or sabotage your efforts to be liked are arrogance or bragging, even if you don't think it's arrogance or bragging. Sometimes you think what you're doing is marketing, but it's not coming across that way, so be mindful of that. Something else that decreases your like is a lack of interest in others, or always talking about yourself, or insincerity. People can tell when you're being insincere. People are a better judge of this than you think that they are, and so, whether you are sliding into someone's DMs, you are having a conversation with somebody that you just met at a networking event, or you are engaging with someone on social media, if you are doing it in a way that is insincere, it is not going to make them like you and, in fact, it is probably going to cause them to like you less.

Speaker 2:

Now the last thing I want to talk about is this trust factor, and this is a big one, because trust is the cornerstone of any successful relationship, whether it's personal or professional, and, in my opinion, trust is the glue that holds together all business relationships. If you don't have trust in a business relationship, you don't have a business relationship. Whether we're talking about the relationship you have with a customer, the relationship that you have with a referral partner, the relationship that you have with someone that you collaborate with, if you don't have trust, you don't have a relationship. When a customer trusts a person or a brand, they are very likely to become loyal return customers over and over again and to refer you to other people. Without trust, no amount of knowing or liking is going to keep clients coming back to you. So if you have consistently delivered quality services to your clients, they know that they can rely on you. If you mess up an order, you have the opportunity to make it right and keep that trust in place. But if you mess something up and you don't make it right, that trust is damaged and rebuilding trust is way harder than it was to build the trust in the first place. So let's talk about what increases trust.

Speaker 2:

In the article Begin With Trust by Francis Frey and Anne Morris, they talk about three factors that build know, like and trust Authenticity, logic and empathy. They call authenticity, empathy and logic the triangle of creating trust. So I want to talk about their definition of those three things. First, because we've talked about some of these things authenticity in particular, as a part of know and like, but it's also a part of trust. People want to know that they're interacting with the real you. If they feel like there's a disconnect between the person they're interacting with and the person that they think of as the real you, they are going to lose trust in you. So ask yourself this If someone who follows you on social media, listens to your podcast or watches your YouTube channel regularly, listens to your podcast or watches your YouTube channel regularly met you in real life, would they be surprised or would you be exactly what they expected?

Speaker 2:

Authenticity that is not consistent is wasted. That's one of the reasons that I sometimes don't edit out things like what I just did when I said ask yourself this question, because if you were having a conversation with me in real life, it probably would have gone down exactly like that. So who you hear on this podcast is really not that different than who you would be in real life. When you come to my virtual networking events, you see me in all my glory and it's not that different than who you would meet in real life. Authenticity that is not consistent is wasted.

Speaker 2:

The next section of the triangle of trust is the logic section. So you want to be reminding yourself that people are asking themselves every single day do I trust this person's logic? Do I trust their way of thinking? Do I trust that they are going to get me results, and do I trust that this is the right person or the right company to solve my pain point? That is what trust is about. People will buy from you if they trust your judgment, which only happens if you are able to clearly describe their problem and logically explain how your product or service can help solve it.

Speaker 2:

This is also about making sure that your audience knows that you are the logical choice to purchase from, because you position yourself as an expert in your industry, and there are a couple of different ways to do this. The first is through social proof positive reviews, testimonials, case studies, client results, right. Anything that you have from satisfied customers will serve as an endorsement and enhance your brand's trustworthiness. You can say all day long that you're the best coach in the country and that you get people results, but hearing that from an actual client who has gotten results is going to build trust much faster. On that same line, but different thought leadership is also a way that you build trust with your audience, and when I talk about thought leadership, what I'm talking about is you sharing insights into your industry and you sharing your expertise that other people don't have, which shows that you are a trusted authority and makes you more credible.

Speaker 2:

Now, in this aspect, I'm not talking about posting about the amazing results that your clients get. I'm talking about providing real value to people who are not your paying clients. Yet, by sharing relevant, timely and truly helpful ideas for your target audience. When you take 30 minutes a day to show up in Facebook groups where your ideal client is hanging out and you just respond to posts in a way that provides value to people, you're not pitching, you're not selling, you're just suggesting. Have you thought about it this way? One thing that helps me is to ask myself this question. What I've found is this, this that helps me is to ask myself this question. What I've found is this, this and this right. When you do that, you are showing that you are a leader in your industry, that you are an expert and that you are a trusted authority which is going to build credibility with people.

Speaker 2:

And then the last section of the triangle of trust that can be built into the know like and trust factor is empathy. Do you care about people? Do people actually feel like you care about them? People want to be reminded that other people care about their success, that other people care if their product actually works for them or not, that your relationship doesn't just end at the point of sale. You can be the company or the person that provides that feeling for your clients or for your potential clients. A lot of times in the past, it was enough for you to have a great product or service, especially if you were the only one offering that product or service. But today, so many of our markets are so oversaturated that it is very hard to differentiate yourself without being the person who cares about their clients and has that wow customer service factor, those amazing people skills that make the person that you're talking to feel like they are the most important customer that you have.

Speaker 2:

On the opposite end, the things that decrease trust are broken promises or not honoring commitments. I see this happen frequently in networking events that I'm in or networking groups that I'm in that meet with the same people over and over again and you get hired by somebody you don't deliver what you promised you would deliver, you don't honor your commitments, you screw something up and you don't do what it takes to make it right. You might as well leave the group. I know that sounds very dramatic, but now you have tarnished that one relationship and that person is not going to recommend you. In fact, they are probably going to be telling other people about the negative experience that they had with you, and that is going to hurt you tremendously.

Speaker 2:

Another thing that decreases trust is lack of transparency not being open and honest about your business practices, not being upfront about your pricing, about your cancellation policies, about any of those things that you expect from your client or that your client can expect from you. If someone is halfway through their contract with you and they wanna cancel, but they didn't know about your cancellation policy because you weren't transparent about it, and they now realize for the first time that they are not getting a refund, you have eliminated all trust with them. So, being open and honest about these things, being transparent, builds trust and it eliminates any doubts or suspicions that people might have in the beginning. And then, as I mentioned before, poor customer service is also one of the huge things that decreases or destroys trust. So how do we put all of this into practice? First, you have to know that these three things don't always go in order. It's not first they know me, then they like me, then they trust me.

Speaker 2:

In fact, for a lot of people, getting them to like you comes easily and usually happens first and very naturally If you are somebody who is comfortable showing up in the world, putting yourself out there being authentic. It's probably pretty easy for people to like you, but you don't get people to trust you if they don't know you, and each of these steps requires intentional effort from you. They don't always just happen naturally. The truth is most people stop at know or like and they think that that is enough. But there are people in my town who are at every single networking event. It seems like everyone in the city knows who they are, but they are not making six figures like you think they would be, because they don't have the trust with people. Many people like them. Many people don't. Many people know them, but not a lot of people trust them.

Speaker 2:

So if you focus solely on being visible, you will have the no nailed. But you're going to have to go beyond that for people to like you. If you focus on being real and relatable, it's going to be easy for people to like you, but they can't like you if you're not putting yourself out there and they don't know you. If you are consistent, transparent, honest, reliable, trust will grow over time. But you aren't even going to get the chance to grow that trust unless people know you and like you first. So it's about being visible, it's about being relatable and it's about being reliable. When people know you, like you and trust you, they're not just going to be your customers, they're going to become advocates for you. They're going to become the biggest fans of your brand. They're going to become your best referral partners and they're going to keep coming back to you time and time again.

Speaker 2:

But you have to remember that no like and trust is not a one-time effort. It's not like okay, I got Jodi and a no like and trust me, check who's the next person. It is about consistently showing up, being authentic and delivering on your promises. It's about creating real human connections in a world that often feels anything but human and real and connected. It's about understanding that not everyone will be your ideal client and that that's okay. But you focus on attracting the right people who resonate with who you are and what you stand for. Focus on attracting the right people who resonate with who you are and what you stand for.

Speaker 2:

So, as you move forward this week, I want you to ask yourself how can you show up more consistently, how can you be more authentic in your interactions and how can you build trust through your actions every single day? When you get these three elements working together, you will not only see your business grow, but you will also build a community of loyal, supportive clients and fans who believe in you and believe in your mission. All right, peeps, that's all I got for today. So before I play you my big, fancy, snazzy, echoey, auto-tuned long outro you got to stick around for it. Now I've just sold it so well You're going to know it and like it and trust it.

Speaker 2:

Before we do that, I just want to remind you we have our next virtual speed networking coming up. If you're listening to this on the day the podcast comes out, the virtual speed networking event is coming up on August 8th 2024. It is from 11 to 12 mountain time. We still have some tickets left, but you want to click the link in the show notes? Go to my website, to the event section. You will find the link to register, and these events sell out every single month, so make sure that you do that ASAP, all right?

Speaker 1:

Are you ready for it? All this build up? Now here we go. All right, Are you ready for it? All this build up? Now here we go. Click the link in the show notes to get your free list of top virtual networking events for female entrepreneurs. It's time to make real connections and grow your business with integrity and authenticity. Until next time, keep rising and stay powerful.

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Melissa Snow

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