To generate sustainable success, you need to build customer trust and loyalty.
Consider for a minute, have you ever bought from a company, or individual, you didn’t trust?
And if so, did you feel comfortable? Or did the seeds of doubt linger in your mind long after your interaction?
“If people like you they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you they’ll do business with you.”
Zig Ziglar
Your potential customers face this same quandary every time they engage with a new organisation.
Are they going to meet my aims? Do I trust them to deliver on my dream project? Am I going to regret this purchase?
How To Build Customer Trust & Loyalty
Customers, by and large, want to engage with companies that won’t let them down.
Buyers remorse will often creep in but can be substantially lessened when spending with a trusted organisation.
“1 in 3 customers will leave a brand they love after just one bad experience.”
PWC
Their level of trust in you, and their willingness to spend, have a direct correlation.
It takes time and effort, but it is possible for companies to build customer trust and loyalty. And in doing so, your efforts will be rewarded time and time again.
There are few activities that can have an equally positive impact on your success as generating trust.
You have to earn it naturally. But how to go about it?
Be Honest & Transparent
Honesty, is undoubtedly, the best policy.
Organisations simply must be open and transparent about their products, services and expectations.
Exaggerated claims and overpromising doesn’t impress anyone. Modern customers are wise to old school sales tactics and gimmicks.
Transparency, and authenticity, now matter much more.
Likewise, your marketing can’t be misleading. Don’t make promises that you can’t, or won’t, deliver on.
And if your organisation does make a significant misstep, own it.
“Your clear focus should be your customers’ best interests.
Prove it by keeping them in the loop and remaining as open and honest as possible.”
Hubspot
After all, customers that are caught off guard a few months into their relationship with your brand are highly unlikely to stick around.
But those who are given all of the information they need will be appreciative and know that they can wholeheartedly trust your team.
Even if you see your clients as one off buyers, your ongoing relationships matter for collecting invaluable social proof as we’ll explore later on.
Tell Your Story
Much like honesty, customers appreciate authenticity. And there are few better ways to feel “real” as a company than by putting a “face” to the name.
Your public image, and it’s perception, shapes how your audience views you. It allows them to look beyond your products and understand where you’re coming from.
If you can convey your brand’s history, expertise and insights, you’re already well on the way to developing a brand that people can identify with.
By being relatable, it becomes much easier to build customer trust and loyalty.
Know Your Audience
As much as your audience want to know you, you should equally know them.
Where do they spend their time? What matters to them? Do they have any concerns associated with their purchase?
You need to be able to quickly answer these questions to ensure you appear as a retailer that fully understands their wants and needs.
“If you can demonstrate a deep understanding of their needs and provide a service that not only solves their problems but delivers added value, then your customers are far more likely to trust you.”
Wyzowl
Being able to pre-empt any worries elevates loyalty by showing you are thinking like them.
Similarly, occupying space in areas customers already trust associates your brand with this sentiment. Effectively, you can piggyback off established trust to elevate customer’s perception of you.
Know your audience and you can quickly figure out how to earn their trust.
Social Proof
Testimonials are one of the most important things you can put on your website, landing page, sales emails or any other kind of communication.
They give your audience both confidence and peace of mind. Ultimately, they enhance your trustworthiness.
“9 out of 10 people say they trust what a customer says about a business more than what that business says about itself.”
The Importance Of Testimonials
Most customers don’t have an agenda. They don’t have anything to gain or lose by offering their input.
Therefore, if you can borrow some of their credibility, you can build customer trust and loyalty through proof in action..
Social proof is the evidence that you can back up your honest and transparent claims with real examples of success.
Deliver Outstanding Service
Last, and certainly not least, nothing builds trust like outstanding service.
Be brilliant and build a reputation for doing so.
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”
Warren Buffett
Exceptional customer service demonstrates compassion, a commitment to customer interests, and a focus on accountability.
It shows that your company cares enough about its customers to patiently and reliably walk them through any issues they might be having.
Make sure every engagement is thorough, thoughtful, patient, and respectful.
Ready to explore how Anthill can help you build customer trust and loyalty? Schedule a demo today.
Intrigued to learn more? Check out our Insights Hub to keep your business at the cutting edge.
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- September 14th, 2021