The concept of trust has been around since the dawn of time, but in today’s society, trust is quickly becoming a critical component of business. This is due to the ever-increasing competition and consumer expectations.
It’s a fact that consumers will pay more and are likely to return to a business they trust. By establishing the connection of trust, businesses start to develop customer loyalty. Which is essential, not only for positive reviews, recommendations, but also if something were to go wrong. A business with many loyal customers has a much better chance at coming back from a scandal than one that is already surrounded in unclear or dodgy sales practices.
The companies that thrive today are the ones that have a business model that is centred around the consumer. Big businesses have started listening to their customer, admitting to their faults and started a new trend: transparency.
Here is how you can become more transparent with your clients:
1. Live up to the promises you make
If you’re advertising that your socks prevent blisters, then make sure your socks prevent blisters. Don’t make claims that you can’t keep. Be mindful of the fact that what you promise, is what your clients expect. You can expect some very angry customers if you can’t live up to their expectations.
2. Don’t try to trick people with the fine print
Nobody likes to be deceived. If you are running a buy one, get one free promotion, you wouldn’t put a big sign up saying “get free products here”. The reason being, is that people would enter your store expecting free products, only to find out they have to buy something first. Don’t try to deceive customers into spending more money, because in the long term, you’d have far more success by being upfront..
3. Respond to criticism with open ears
When consumers have a problem, it’s important they feel heard. Instead of fighting criticism, try to listen to why they are angry. Is it something you can fix? Even though admitting to mistakes is a hard thing to do, people respect a brand that is humble enough to care. By responding, asking for more information, and trying your best to fix the issue will go a lot farther than ignoring the customer.
All in all, trust is a highly beneficial tool when it comes to building client relationships. People will be far more likely to buy from you if they trust in your business.
