It’s often said that trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair – an aphorism that holds true in all areas of life. But how do you get potential clients to take a leap of faith and put their initial trust in you? Try one of these strategies to win them over.

1. Be consistent. Candece Hadley of Interform (asi/231501) once spent three years prospecting a large national account with a big presence in Utah. On the second Wednesday of every month, she would stop by the front office and drop off a little gift and a note for the director of marketing. The persistence paid off, and the company started working with Interform once the contract with its other vendor timed out. Hadley’s clockwork gift-giving demonstrated how dependable, tenacious and reliable she’d be on behalf of the new client. “He told our CEO he had never seen anyone as consistent and persistent in a positive way,” she says. “He could literally mark the calendar with the day I came.”

2. Do some research. Nina Bloomstein Shatz of BAMKO (asi/131431) recently spoke with the owner of a large plumbing and heating company, who had been referred to her by another client. Before the call, she visited the company’s website and scrolled through its social media feeds, getting a feel for the brand’s color scheme, how it used its logo, how much the company is worth and a ballpark of its marketing budget. “When I hopped on the call, I was prepared to ask him the right questions,” Shatz says. “And those questions weren’t, ‘What do you want to order from me?’ … He was so happy I did that.”

3. Be a pinch hitter. When Harper+Scott (asi/220052) is trying to woo new clients, the distributor will suggest a trial run of sorts. “We always tell prospects to give us your biggest headache, smallest project. Let us show you how we work with you to gain your trust. Then we can work on your bigger projects,” President Jon Alagem says.