When selling a product or service, your efforts will be essentially useless if you don’t have a company and brand that people trust. Conversely, when customers and prospects feel that they can trust you, they will be more likely to buy what you are selling. There are many ways to build trust amongst consumers, and for this reason, it is important to tailor your trust-building strategy based on targeted research of your customer base. That being said, here are some basic guidelines on how to build a brand that people trust:
Reliable service and products
A product or service that people do not consider reliable is a sure way to lower trust and credibility in your market. Quite simply, the quality of your service or product must allow customers to justify buying it. While branding and marketing are incredibly important to the success of a business, it is ultimately just “talk”. High-quality products are what truly validate brands and build authority amongst consumers.
Honesty
Transparency and honesty help consumers connect better with your brand. This means being open about not only your strengths but your weaknesses as well. Generally, people know when their being lied to. For example, if your company ever encounters controversy it is best to address the situation directly, rather than circumventing it. Telling the truth in most cases gives you the best path to success. Lying, on the other hand, can create a path with growing obstacles along the way. Honesty shows people that your company cares about them. Through your transparency, you are showing a readiness to help them achieve their needs with your product or service.
Dedication and accessibility to clients
In your brand, customers should always come first. Similar to detecting honesty, consumers will know when they are viewed as human beings or another dollar in your pocket. Even if your product is great, a lack of dedication to clients will deteriorate the possibility for a strong relationship or long-term trust. In contrast, a client who feels that your company is dedicated to what they need and accessible when they need it will be much more likely to stay a customer for years to come.
Meaningful message and effective delivery
As an extension of your behavior and actions, your brand’s message is very important to building trust among customers. For this reason, be sure to choose a message you wholeheartedly believe in and are proud to share with the public. Not only that, but it is necessary to remember a basic communication principle: message sent does not equate to the message received. Hence, the delivery of your message is just as important as the message itself. Know how you want to communicate to your audience and through which channels for maximized results of your marketing efforts.
Consistency
Keeping consistency throughout your company’s brand fosters trust in customers because it helps them always know what to expect. It builds a sense of deep understanding of what your brand is truly about. This goes beyond customers, and consistency is also important for employees to know their role and be better brand champions. A good way to keep consistency in your brand is through imagery and design across all channels and platforms.
