Relationships built on trust take time to construct. It is not something that happens overnight. Instead, it is something that is built over time, strengthened by continuous interaction and positive experiences. This is true in regards to your personal relationships, but it also transfers over into your professional relationships as well.
If you can prove to your clients that you are a trustworthy brand, they are not only going to be more likely to purchase your products or services, they will become loyal and, potentially, lifetime customers.
To build trust, you must first understand your audience. Once you understand your audience, you can construct the right messaging and continue to serve the best interests of your clients. Here are the most practical and effective strategies for building up the trustworthiness of your brand:
Make it easy for your customers to reach you.
No matter what products your brand sells or what services you offer, your customers are going to have questions. Make it easy for them to reach you, whether that’s through your website, across your social media platforms, or directly by phone or email. If your clients have difficulty finding a way to reach out to you, they can only assume that choice was intentional and that you either don’t value feedback from others or you have something to hide.
Offer top-quality products or services.
It is one thing to have a positive and active online presence, but it’s another to promise and deliver top-quality products or services to your customers. If that is the message that you are relaying to your potential customers, you need to make good on that promise. If a customer feels they have been cheated, they are going to want to warn others of your dishonesty. Now that 81 percent of the population is active on some type of social media account, they have a platform where they can communicate their experiences. If multiple customers have negative things to say about you – and they all consist of similar content – it is going to be hard for potential customers to trust you.
Be transparent.
While your clients expect the best from you, they know you aren’t perfect. If there is an issue, work with your customers to resolve it. Sometimes that may mean leading them in a different direction, often into the hands of your competitors. It’s better to part ways if the relationship is damaged and show that you are truly acting in their best interest, rather than leading them on and having them feel that they are nothing more than money signs to further the growth of your company.