Customers are getting smarter and smarter. No longer will they buy a product just because they like it or need it.
The number one thing they’re looking for before they buy is TRUST.
Without trust you won’t make a sale. Without trust you won’t build a tribe. To succeed in business you need both.
So how do you build trust?
You need to be authentic. You need to be consistent. Without these two things it will be nearly impossible to build trust.
To be authentic you need to know your “why”. Why are you in business? Why are you doing what you do? If you are not true to your values and your why you will not be authentic and customers will see this from a mile away.
Testimonials and reviews are a great way of showing your authenticity. Even bad reviews are not always bad. You can a turn a bad review into a positive by handling the review in a positive way. By having both good and bad reviews shows you are authentic.
You also need to be consistent in your voice and consistent in your actions. Your voice must reflect your values at all times..
Your voice is reflected in your brand icons. Its reflected in the products you sell or the services you offer and its reflected in the way you interact with your customers or clients.
Make sure that your product and service does what you say it will do and be present in your business.
Take responsibility. If a customer has a problem put yourself in their shoes. How would YOU like to be treated if you were in the same situation? Never ignore problems or difficult customers hoping they’ll go away.
People are naturally drawn to things and experiences which make them feel good. Its how we decide what to keep or discard in our lives. When determining the value of your business, instead of looking at your output, focus on your customer’s input, their emotional response to your product or service. Use your authenticity to elicit positive responses from your customers. You can use this as a benchmark to see whether you are being consistent.
Customers today no longer just trust their own instincts. They look to their peers and to the influencers they follow to guide them around who they should support. It makes sense, therefore, that trustworthy brands should be building trust by encouraging this type of behaviour. Step out of the way and let the people to come together and find points of interest and reasons to share and interact because of your brand.
Remember, a brand isnt what YOU say it is, its what THEY tell you it is.
Photo by Sabina Ciesielska on Unsplash
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