The concept of “Know – Like – Trust” has been around for a while. It is commonly attributed to author Bob Burg (Endless Referrals and The Go-Giver).

Another person attributed to the concept is sales trainer Michael Goldstein, who talked about buyers needing to experience “confidence, affinity, and empathy” before making purchases.

No matter who originated it or how you phrase it, it’s undoubtedly a foundational process to making a sale. When I say process, it’s one foot in front of the other sequence. Yet many business people try to hop over the like part and go from know to trust.

Know, Like, and Trust has three distinct phases when it comes to marketing to build relationships.

One of the critical principles that muddies the water when it comes to business-to-business relationship marketing is the concept that your business is trying to appeal to the largest audience possible.

In business, sales are the KPI that drive everything from employee compensation, innovation budgets, and, in some cases, investor and shareholder enthusiasm.

The concepts of Know, Like, and Trust are intertwined, yet each has its own purpose, process, and performance metrics. One last key thing to remember is that marketing people are part of your sales team, and salespeople are part of your marketing team.