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Most of us learned in Business 101 or during on-the-job training that businesses have to build market trust and credibility in themselves as well as their products and services. If we succeed in doing so, business grows. If we fail to do so, business doesn't grow or at best grows slowly. But how do we build trust and credibility within our markets and within our audiences?
It starts with our presence and with the marketing tools we use to share that presence with the right audience, at the right time and in the right place. That presence usually includes such things as a web site, perhaps a blog or a podcast, marketing collaterals, advertising, PR and so on.
For me, networking (i.e., face-to-face relationship building) is where I invest most of my energy. Asking clients to offer third-person testimonials that we then place on my marketing collaterals are important as well.
But do those things alone result in trust and credibility? Most of us apply those same strategies and tactics, so how do our customers and clients determine that we are trustworthy and credible based on those kinds of marketing efforts? Where is the innovation? The creativity? At the end of the day, how do we ensure that we build trust and credibility with our customers, clients and our audiences?
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Comments
Trust is earned over time by doing what you promise and more.
Credibility, after you've been in the game a while, comes from having built trust.
Posted by: B.L. Ochman | 05.15.07
Trust has always been an issue in business and now with the invisibility of the Internet it's even more of an issue.
What do you do when you chief competition out and out lies in press releases, information on their website, advertising? How to you prevent that mistrust customers will develop when they discover these lies -from rubbing off on your company?
Posted by: Mona Piontkowski | 05.16.07
An interesting question. How do we build trust?
I reckon let me ask you by the question involving family. How does your parents/siblings build trust with you? We trust our parents unflinchingly in our childhood. We think their thoughts are correct and try to follow their words. As the days goes on and the years goes by parents have to earn the trust of their children. By being their confidants, by being their friends, By delivering results (getting new stuff), by loving your kids even if they are wrong isn't it?
Can this not be applied to a marketeer-customer (or) a business-customer relationship.
Can we build trust without performing our role well.
I think if we can promise that we deliver and deliver what we promise, may be over deliver what we promisewe build trust and credibility.
Posted by: Balaji M | 05.17.07
Lewis,
Another dimension of building trust is being realistic when you talk with potential clients or customers. They want their issues resolved or their needs met, but if those requests are unrealistic or beyond their budget or beyond your capabilities - admit it. Tell them what is realistic and why. This will build respect, and that leads to trust.
Steve
Posted by: Steve Hoffacker | 05.21.07