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Last Updated on October 22, 2017 by Work In My Pajamas
When you own a business, everything depends on your good reputation. New customers have little else to draw upon, aside from your word that you’ll deliver. This is why it’s important to make sincere connections with your clients from the start. Solid relationships are the foundation upon which trust in your brand will be built. Here are 7 ways in which this can be accomplished.
In This Post:
Be Honest
Honesty should be at the core of every transaction and communication. This means being truthful about everything, including things you may not be proud of. Honesty demonstrates to your customers that you actually care about their needs and that you’re willing to help them find solutions to their problems. Sometimes your product may not be the right one for a particular client. If you can point them in the right direction despite possibly benefiting a competitor, that client will probably never have anything bad to say about you.
Be Consistent
Being consistent ensures your clientele always knows what to expect. Your customers should know the quality of your products and be able to expect a certain level of service at all times. Maintaining this type of consistency gives you a good name in the marketplace and helps attract better customers. It also raises the perceived value of your products, increasing your customer retention rates. Keep in mind that your brand is supposed to be an extension of your values and behavior.
Provide Value
Your customers should always come first, before your revenue. Smart customers can tell when they matter to you and you can’t afford to give them the impression that they’re only good for the money they spend. Otherwise, no matter how much they need your product, they will always be on the lookout for your replacement. Always remember that providing value to your customers is the best way to improve your own bottom line.
Provide Reliable Products
One of the biggest challenges in business is to continue to impressing your customers with the quality of your products long after their first purchase. When your products aren’t as good as you make them sound, you run the risk of drawing negative reviews that will only make you look worse. A simple way to avoid this is to test your products rigorously, making sure you address any weak points they might have. You an also get a focus group together and ask potential customers what type of product they need to solve their problems.
Provide Reviews and Testimonials
In today’s world, having an honest-looking face doesn’t guarantee that others are going to trust you. A growing number of consumers now consult online reviews before making major purchases. The supposed ACN scam is an example of how rough a series of negative reviews can be. If you’re not providing an opportunity for your clientele to hear what good you’ve done for others, you might miss an important opportunity to build trust in your brand.
Listen and Provide Support
One of the easiest ways to build trust with your customers is to simply listen to their concerns. This lets them know that you actually care about their needs and any concerns they may have with your products. The more approachable you are, the better new customers will feel about taking a chance with your products or services. Repeating what they say back to them in your own words reassures them that you are paying attention and are more likely to give them a personalized response. Making sure they understand that you’re always available to answer their questions will do wonders for your credibility.
Use Fewer Ads
If there’s one thing customers usually don’t care for, it’s an overabundance of ads. This is largely due to the practices of large corporations that spend bundles of money on advertising campaigns. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with ads, too many of them can lead people to think that your only objective is to sell them things they don’t really need. Cutting back on advertising and hard-selling can help ease some of these concerns.
It may take some time to build trust in your brand, but the work you put into it will pay off. You can’t expect to just step out into the marketplace and instantly out-sell established competitors. Learn to take all feedback into consideration, both positive and negative. In time, you’ll earn the trust of your toughest customers and the respect you deserve from the competition.
