Think your clients trust you? Statistically speaking, they probably don’t.

In a recent study by Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) looking at over 1,800 adults with household incomes of $50,000 or more, 85 percent said they find it more difficult to trust financial professionals than they did five years ago. Ironically, the study also pointed out that less than 50 percent are confident about their financial future and 90 percent say they are ready to talk to someone about it.

In short, despite an overwhelming demand for reliable financial advice, clients are hesitant to take their concerns – or their hard earned cash – to the one type of professional that’s supposed to help them. A lose-lose situation.

Fortunately for you, establishing trust presents an opportunity to differentiate yourself from the majority – the 85 percent of client-advisor relationships in which trust is lacking. Building trust not only can do wonders in terms of creating lifelong customers (and the value is substantial in that) but clients that become personal advocates can also turn into a lucrative and free referral machine. Getting a client’s business is good, but gaining his or her trust is how a producer climbs up to the MDRT.

With this in mind, here are four actions that you can use to instantly build trust with your clients. Of course, after using these tips it’s up to you to continue to maintain and grow client confidence, but these tips will provide a strong foundation and a great starting point to work from.

1. Ask The Right Questions – The bottom line is that most consumers don’t know what financial plan or product they want. Some might not even be entirely sure how their investments are currently allocated! In addition to feeling that you are competent, clients want to know that you are willing to do a deep drill down to understand their current economic circumstances and their lifestyle goals.

The first questions you ask should be regarding the client’s personal life and family circumstances. Where and when does the client want to retire? What are his or her plans? What about traveling? How many kids does the client have? Before making any suggestions about investing or financial products, you need to develop an accurate picture of what your client’s ideal life will look like after retirement.

Next, you need to use questions to get an understanding of the client’s financial situation and goals. What income will they have after they retire? Social Security? Pensions? IRA? 401(k)? For a person who just cashed out on a family business, an annuity might be the most appropriate product to guarantee income for life. However, for a firefighter that has a large pension lined up, an annuity might not be an attractive option. Always remember, and be empathetic to the fact, that you are dealing with their life savings. Show them that you can help solve their problems – from generating retirement income to dealing with long-term care.

2. Find Common Ground – People like to do business with like-minded people so it’s important that advisors find common ground. This does not mean faking the same interests as your client. It means getting an understanding of your client’s personality type and decision making process and then delivering information in a way that best suits them. For instance, is your client data-driven or more intuitive? Would he or she rather hear you talk about life insurance policies or read about them? Test out a variety of ways of displaying information and see which ones resonate most with the client.

Another great technique to create an instant rapport is to mirror the client’s behavior, mannerisms, and word choices. When you get on the client’s “level,” often a psychological connection occurs automatically without the other person even knowing why. A few items to try and match include the client’s:

• Posture
• Energy level
• Hand movements
• Facial expressions
• Speaking tempo

3. Sell Them What They Know – Investors are often frustrated by the complexity of financial products and just want a competent professional to make the process simple. One of the best ways you can do this is to relate the products they are interested in to what they already understand.

For example, if you were discussing the differences between term insurance and whole life, you might pull out a ten-page document filled with rows and columns of data describing the different investment options, limitations, and fee differences between the two. Or, you could compare both types of insurance to the difference between renting and owning a home. Term insurance is like renting since you pay for a year, the coverage expires, and that’s the end unless you renew. The premium can increase with age. Whole life, by contrast, is similar to purchasing a home with a fixed-rate mortgage. You own the policy for life, the premiums are level, and you build up equity in the cash value component. This approach is much more likely to build trust with a client than confusing him or her with an endless stream of data.

4. Keep A Promise – One of the fastest ways to build trust is to demonstrate that you can keep a commitment. Make a promise early on in your first meeting with a client that you will do something on a specific day in the future – friend him or her on Facebook, send a pamphlet, provide a follow-up phone call, mail a small thank-you gift – and then do it.

It’s important to be innovative, personal and think outside the box about what you can do to demonstrate your trust and character. The internet has made this process easier and cheaper than ever but if you have the opportunity to truly “WOW!” a potential client, take it! Think of it this way: If your client’s decision comes down to picking “Joe Smith advisor” who sent a thank-you card as a follow up or you who offered to give the client a ride to the office, who do you think made the bigger impression?

On a final note, be careful not to hastily assume that you’ve become a client’s trusted advisor. Every person has a different length of time (what I call their trust gradient) that they require before they truly have faith that their advisor has their best intentions in mind. In the wake of scandals such as Bernie Madoff, this time frame has grown exponentially. Do not become overconfident in your selling ability and rush the sales process before a real connection is built. Remember, there is no shortcut to trust.

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• Seven Ways to Build Rapport with Anyone
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• As Americans Resolve to Improve Their Financial Security, Lincoln Financial Study Shows They Understand the Financial Risks of Long-Term Care, but Are Unaware of Their Funding Options
• When It Comes to Planning with Annuities, Trust Is Money
• Are You an Agent People Trust?