You need to prove this to prospects
There are many factors that will determine your long-term success but surely nothing is more important than trust - especially today where mistrust is increasingly the default position for most people.
But you’re trustworthy, right? The trouble is, you have to earn it and prove it.
A widespread lack of trust
Today the proliferation of ‘fake news’, massive data breaches and highly publicised scandals within our major institutions has pushed people’s trust to an all time low. And this has had a knock-on effect on people’s attitudes toward business.
So with your business being 100% built on trust, how should you enhance it, maintain it and promote it?
Ways to build trust with existing clients
- Perfect your customer’s experience of the business
This ranges from quickly returning phone calls, to having regular face-to-face meetings with clients (to demonstrate how valuable you’re being to them).
Being reliable and making people feel like they are important to you is fundamental to building trust.
- Under promise and over deliver
This is always the ideal, if you have the time and resources. And if you can’t deliver on a promise then let them know in good time. Business competence is fundamental to trust.
- Tell the truth and, if appropriate, apologise
If your clients have experienced any problems while working with you or your team, never try to wheedle out of it.
Transparency, sincerity and integrity are fundamental to trust.
Here’s a great example of what not to do. Find out how just one word from Ms Irlweg in Customer Services helped to lose United Airlines $180 million.
Ways to convince prospects that you can be trusted to solve their problems
Trust is set to become even more important to businesses success in the future. Cultivating it and engaging in reputation management is now mandatory for every business that wants to gain a competitive edge in our increasingly distrustful world.