How To Establish Trust With High Ticket Clients

So, you’ve had an initial conversation with a potential client, and it went well. They’re interested in investing in your highest ticket coaching program or your highest ticket services. Or, better yet — they’re willing to invest in you and build a customized high ticket offering with you depending on their needs. The deal hasn’t been closed yet, but it’s in the talks, and now it’s all about building the trust. 

There’s something about building trust with high ticket clients that feels more daunting than with the low ticket clients, and it isn’t just about the money. What someone is willing to invest in you and your services is directly proportional to how much they trust you… and, frankly, how much they have to spend. Because business is done by people and people relate to one another, the best way to secure a deal and establish trust is to simply build a relationship with that client. Of course, this has to be done carefully, without putting on too much pressure or making it seem like you only want a relationship with them for what they could give you (or invest in you). It’s a delicate balance to strike, but here are some ways you could start striking. 

1. Sell Something Low-Ticket First 

Sometimes, trust is built by working up in one’s purchases. If they’ve purchased from you before — even something small, like a $27 workbook or a $37 webinar, that may help them with their decision making on a high-ticket purchase. Lilach Bullock writes, “Low-ticket items help you get more people into your sales funnel. These impulse buys and pressure-free purchases get them hooked and give them a taste for the full-fat version – get them in your high-ticket sales funnel so that you can later upsell to them.”

If you’re already in the conversation about the high-ticket item, this may not be as relevant — but keep this in mind for future high ticket client prospects. And, if a large financial investment seems to be what’s slowing down the sales cycle with the current client, consider how you can offer a payment plan or something that lessens their concern about such a high investment right off the bat. This should be done alongside building the trust emotionally, too — because if the trust is there, the ROI of even a very high ticket investment will seem obvious. 

2. Take Them To Dinner 

If you live in the same vicinity as this potential client, consider meeting in person in a more social setting. This advice comes from Mike Sim Boon Cheok, the founder of Entail Holdings. “Be natural rather than pushy, and take them to dinner to learn more about them,” he explains. “Inevitably, at one point in the dinner, they will relax and get comfortable enough with you to discuss the problems they’re facing and the needs that they have. This is when you can truly understand them.” 

Think through past times that you made high ticket investments: how much did you  know this person socially? The more we get to know others, the more we’re naturally inclined to trust them. Let this client get to know you, and create an opportunity for you to learn more about their thoughts, concerns, and their inner world, so you can make sure you’re the best possible fit for them and convince them of the same. Of course, this will be a professional dinner (or coffee) meeting, but don’t be afraid to show more of who you are so they feel comfortable doing the same: talk about your dog, your most recent trip, or something you enjoy in your personal life.

3. Mention Past Clients And Their Successes

At the end of the day, clients want to feel taken care of. They want to know that you’ve done what you’re working with them on before and you’ve achieved success for their past clients. So, bring these clients into conversation as much as possible. Don’t mention their name or any private information, but say something to this effect: “I definitely understand that it’s a goal of yours’ to hit the bestseller list. One of my past clients had the same goal, and here were the three things we did to help her achieve that.” 

You can also go beyond mentioning the successes, and into the real nitty-gritty of the how-to’s, such as the working relationship. This could look like this: “What a few of my past clients have found to be really helpful are weekly phone calls and daily check-ins, they said it helped them hold themselves accountable to these new goals and we even had some breakthroughs through daily texts!” The more you can paint a story around past client experiences, the better. This will emotionally persuade the potential client to work with you because they want to be in the shoes of your past client.

However, note that this should be done with a spotlight still on the prospective client. Katie Pritchard, a VP of Services, writes that “Simply put, the focus…is never on your company, but rather how your services will help to achieve the clients business goals.

“It’s always about the prospect. They need to hear that not only will you help them achieve their business goals, but how.”

Finally, keep in mind that trust is built over time, too – and in the little details. Pay attention to your response times and how quickly you get back to your prospects. Remember some of the smaller details of what they say, and recite them back to them. This is simply about doing good business and showing that you care about the potential client, and that you’ll do a detailed and thorough job in working with them.