A reputation for honesty must be built on a level deeper than personality. Long-range sales success will rely on the credibility one has as a person. Today, more than ever before personal credibility is the most vital ingredient for success in selling. Since we know that lots of people tend to get tense in crowds, it follows that crowded marketplaces also make buyers tense. The greatest personal challenge you face today is overcoming the tension that exists in a crowded selling environment.
Behavioral psychologists have a term known as territorial imperative.
When that personal space is invaded, its owner examines the intruder carefully to determine if it is friend or foe. Only when one trusts the intruder will he or she relax. Without credibility, you will remain an untrusted intruder. If your credibility can transform this natural tension into trust, you will break through its resistance and close the sale. Failure to establish credibility with your prospects will reduce you to merely another face in the bustling crowds of salespeople they see daily.