A trove a new sales books can be found on shelves every single week. These books are filled with ideas, written by the world’s selling experts to inspire others to their success. Some of the ideas are great, some just motivational, some are redundant. But one thing all of these experts do agree upon: sales don’t happen without trust.

Establishing and building a level of trust is the charge of the likes of smooth talking account executives and honest moments with CEOs. The laws of the sale are applied no differently in the digital out of home industry for DOOH projects. Trust must be established for a deal to be done.

So how does one show that they are trustworthy, especially when there are a lot of other companies saying the same thing and fully willing to take the lead on a project?

The first way is referrals. Trust is like a baton, it transfers fastest when it is passed from someone to another. When a person outside of your company or better yet, one of your clients, vouches for you to get you in the door, you are immediately on a closer level.

The second way is being a part of something bigger than just the digital signage and DOOH industry, many successful DOOH groups crossed over into this medium from broadcast or other technologies, bringing a few interested prospects with them or from unrelated divisions of their business. Mergers and partnerships help immensely for gaining access to existing relationships.

The third way is the most difficult, yet it stands to yield the most over the long term: differentiation. As with any project-based industry, there is a time between when research begins and when first potential partners are contacted. It is in these fertile moments that impressions can be shaped, and the foundations of trust established.

With no immediate contacts, a minimal understanding of the technology, and only an idea of what they would like to accomplish, many of the end users and take up a digital out of home project don’t know where to start. As they research, they come across different companies, and start to judge which ones they might like to use. It goes without saying that the ones they become the most familiar with are the ones they will feel more comfortable approaching.

The trick is advertising and sponsorship. When done in the correct way, companies can establish a presence in a prospect’s mind before that prospect formally enters the market. It is said that advertising is the invisible sales force, providing extra support to your sales efforts. DOOH marketers have a difficult time finding ways to do this, yet having that edge is crucial to getting invited to the serious conversations.