The world of business relies heavily upon trust. There can be no denying the importance of referrals. When it comes to marketing, word of mouth is the most powerful and elusive method, so you should take advantage of it as much as possible.
Developing trusting relationships is one of the keys to the success of a business. The representatives understand the importance of these connections. They realize that when customers feel trusted, they are more likely to stay with your company.
But while trust is an essential element and something that everyone hopes for, it isn’t necessarily something that comes easily. Building trust requires time, commitment, and consistency, among other qualities.
An independent study conducted by Concerto Marketing Group and Research Now found that when customers trust a company, 83 percent will recommend it to another. In addition, 82 percent will continue to do business with it.
Even though rarely anyone talks about the times you go above and beyond for a customer, you’re sure to hear from bitter ones if you miss a deadline or deliver a product that does not meet their expectations.”
In Brian Hughes’ words, “Truly great businesses know that customer loyalty is a function of trust. Hurt that trust and you’ve given your competition a brand new customer.”
What Is Customer Trust And Why Is It So Essential?
Building trust with customers has become increasingly important in today’s business climate. By providing your customers with superior service at all times, you are more likely to gain their trust and loyalty. In order to achieve their full potential, companies must put in the work necessary to gain their clients’ trust.
Consumers today are becoming increasingly sophisticated, selective, and cynical when making purchasing decisions. According to research conducted by HubSpot, more than half of customers (55%) no longer trust companies as much as they used to.
Certainly, that is a somewhat depressing statistic on the surface.
On the other hand, flipping it over can offer a golden opportunity. Customers will be attracted to you if you can provide a superior customer experience to your competitors. In fact, 93% of customers told HubSpot they would make a repeat purchase from a company that provides excellent customer service.
In What Ways Can You Build Trust With Customers?
Building customers’ trust is an imperative concern for individuals in many departments within a company. Customers who are directly involved in building customer trust are typically customer service representatives, sales representatives, and other company representatives who interact with customers.
Public relations and marketing personnel may also contribute to building trust through their marketing efforts. Having employees in these positions and more who are honest, kind, and willing to help can greatly increase the trust of customers.
How To Gain Your Customers’ Trust
To gain the trust of your customers, your organization/website owners should follow the following tips:
Understand Your Customers
When you understand your customers, you are better able to cater to their needs. Take the time to get to know their names and learn about their buying habits. Each customer should be treated as an individual, not just as a number.
An example would be to send a customer a personalized birthday message along with a special discount on their birthday. Another approach would be to send them special emails designed to appeal to them specifically.
Erin Laine, the owner and lead technician at Orlando West N-Hance Wood Refinishing, notes that her company is devoted to true customer service, anticipating the customer’s needs, and delivering quality results worthy of referrals.
When we take the time to understand our customers’ needs – whether they need more space for remote learning, a side business selling baked goods, or a spacious place for their growing family – we are better able to provide recommendations and make their lives easier by unfolding their vision.”
Providing information about yourself and your business is necessary so that your customers can trust your brand.
Be sure to keep them apprised of any business news (before it hits the press!) and do not hesitate to admit to tough times. It will help your customers see the value and humanity of your brand, thereby providing them with a sense of comfort when dealing with you.
Offer the Highest Quality
Be your best, whether it be in regards to the quality of your product or service or the way you handle inquiries.
A customer’s purchase of your products is an expression of your brand. The lack of satisfaction with your products may result in the loss of customers’ trust in your company.
Make sure that you understand and solve your customers’ problems in order to provide the most suitable product or service. Surveys should be conducted to assess expectations and pain points and these should be continuously revised.
It is imperative to listen to feedback and gather data to improve the process. Listening improves customer retention, which is key to minimizing expenditures. 88% of business executives confirm that it is less expensive to keep customers than to acquire new ones.
Personalize Your Customers’ Journey
Personalized customer experiences are crucial across the entire customer journey from marketing to purchase and post-purchase. Personalization, as reported by McKinsey, can increase sales by up to 10% and produce up to eight times the return on investment (ROI) on marketing expenditures.
One way of providing personalized experience is to allow customers to make purchases in their local currency and displaying content in their local language. If you sell internationally, it’s best to display your content in the language customers search for your products in.
If you have a Magento based multilingual ecommerce site, this Magento 2 hreflang extension will automatically add hreflang tags to your store.
If you know your customers, you can demonstrate their value in the most effective, customized manner. You can assist consumers in making the most of your business’ products and services by providing educational resources.
Others may prefer to view short walkthrough videos rather than reading detailed product descriptions. Some may simply wish to speak to a representative.
According to our survey, 8 out of 10 customers said they would switch to a competitor due to poor customer service. Based on the channel through which your customers interact with your company, provide them with the best, most proactive service possible.
Make sure to meet them where they are according to your research, not your assumptions. If your clients prefer WhatsApp as a means of communication, be available to answer their questions there.
Customers are influenced by the treatment they receive. Follow up with customers after delivery to determine how they feel. Strive to establish a relationship that will result in them returning.
Be Honest and Transparent
Consumers rarely complain about the shady and deceptive nature of the companies they purchase goods and services from. It has never been said, “I trust this brand because its parent company is very adept at lying to me and concealing its mistakes.”
It is not just your organization that consumers trust, but any honest, transparent company. You cannot mislead your customers. Please avoid making promises in your sales copy that you cannot or will not fulfill.
Beyond that, you should be straightforward and ethical. Ensure that your sales team is direct about pricing and how your offer can benefit prospects.
Unless you have a special business need, for example you want to hide price for specific customers or customer groups as this Magento 2 hide price extension does, never conceal or misquote your product prices. Be accountable for any missteps your organization makes, and address them as soon as possible.
Make a sincere commitment to working for the best interests of the consumer and demonstrate that commitment by keeping the consumer informed and remaining as open and honest as possible.
Avoid Shortcuts and Clickbait Tactics
Keep in mind that how you market your company reflects on the quality of your products and services. You risk losing your customers’ trust and the opportunity to do business with you if you deliberately employ clickbait techniques or overpromise in an attempt to increase traffic to your site.
Be up front and honest about your abilities, and make sure that at the very least, you meet the expectations of the customer. By doing so you will build trust with your customers and lay the groundwork for a loyal customer base over time.
Encourage Customer Feedback
Asking for customer feedback is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement and your enthusiasm for your customers. Survey your customers, request reviews by email, and be open to feedback. Companies that value their customers’ opinions and insights will be more likely to succeed.
You should not just declare that you care about customer satisfaction; you should actually implement this feedback and market it to these customers to demonstrate that you are dedicated to the issue. You must be loyal to your customers in order to cultivate their loyalty.
Nerissa Zhang, CEO of The Bright App, says, “Listen to your customers’ feedback, use that feedback to improve your business, and then let your customers know that you heard them and took immediate action to improve their experience.”
Even if you make improvements based on customer feedback, be sure to tell your customers appropriately about those improvements.
Conclusion
Building a solid customer base starts with building trust and loyalty. Gaining customer’s trust does not require very complicated strategies. Providing excellent customer service and ensuring your support staff is aware of their responsibility are the best steps to take.
Customers are your number one priority, so you want to make sure they know that. As you achieve this goal, the trust and loyalty of your customers will follow closely.
