She is so good, she could sell salt to a sea slug!

But let’s take a closer look at what these things really mean.

What needs does salt fill to a sea slug, other than suicidal ones? Global warming not withstanding, are most Eskimos really in the market for a block of ice? And who needs their own bridge, anyway?

In today’s world, with today’s consumers and their expectations, when someone pays you this compliment, you should take a look in the mirror and ask yourself how you feel about what you have done.

To survive today, you have to build trust with your customers. If you are not trusted, you are an afterthought. You are the escape route. You are not the go-to guy, nor are you the advisor, or partner. And if you sell people things they do not need just to hit your goal and make a quick buck, you better invest that buck now because they will not be flowing your way long.

Trust, on the other hand, is the key to the city, the treasure map that leads right to your door. It is The Answer. But it takes work to build, and time. Luckily, it comes fairly easily from a set of five basic actions; all you need to do is apply them to see the results. No training. No granola-flavored love-in. Just:

1. Tell the truth. Always. It takes less effort than twisting a web of white lies, and is the foundation of trust.

2. Say what you will do, and do what you say. Unexpected events happen, but those who continually make promises to do things and, more often than not, do not follow through are the definition of “dead wood.”

3. Set tight guidelines and keep them. I love the cable company. They tell me someone will be at my house “between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. this Friday.” Thank heavens I do not have a life! If companies cannot work harder to accommodate me, why on earth would I want to deal with them?

4. Set realistic expectations. Do not tell the customer you can probably deliver it to them in two weeks if standard delivery times are a month. What date do you think they will expect their shipment, and perhaps plan their entire project around?!

5. Know when to walk away. If you cannot help someone, you are better off telling them so and then working to find an alternative source, as opposed to trying to find them something that “comes close” to what they are looking for. Settling for second best very rarely leads to long-term, profitable relationships.

There are a lot of other things that can be done, but I have found that consistently living up to these five has opened more doors to long-term relationships than anything else I have done.

This week’s “Cold Call” is simple. Be the very definition of Trust. Go back to the five points, read them again. How hard would it be to become the advisor and trusted partner in the decision-making process that your customers are looking for? Do not sell to people; build business partnerships. And try selling some clean water to that sea slug, some mittens to the Eskimo, and keep the bridge and name it after your pet gecko.

Have a great sales week!