We live in a skeptical world. And we live in a world with a lot of options. That's part of where we get our skepticism, a lot of options offered with over-hyped and over-extended promises. Everyone offers something that's great, wonderful, never before seen, once in a lifetime, better than the best, faster, newer, better improved, longer lasting, better tasting, less costly, higher quality...the list goes on and on.

Benefit after benefit is piled on. There are a lot of offers that sound too good to be true...and many that are.

The question is who can you trust to get the job done to your satisfaction?

People spending money, whether an individual consumer or a corporate buyer, needs to know they can trust you'll deliver whatever benefit they're buying. They need to know all the reasons they can believe in you, your company, and your collective ability to deliver. And this is where many businesses fail to succeed to the level of their potential, they don't adequately convince their prospect they're worthy of earning their business.

Here's a quick list of reasons to offer a prospect to believe in you and your company:

• Relevant testimonials
• Awards
• Certificates
• Pedigree
• Guarantee
• Degree
• Application Stories
• White papers
• Articles
• Speaking engagements
• Affiliations
• Professional position
• Title
• Memberships
• Partnerships

What would you add to my list?