Why trust is your #1 product in any business

What does your business sell? Professional services? Products? Technology solutions? Nope! Whatever business you’re in, you only succeed if you sell trust first.

Sound weird? It used to be that you could place a few ads in the media telling people how great your product or service was and they would take you at your word. That is no longer true. These days, a brand’s reputation and messaging need to withstand much more scrutiny. If you aren’t trusted, your product—no matter how great—won’t sell.

Trust is earned, not given
With the rise of spammers, scammers, and misleading offers, it’s no surprise that people are reluctant to give companies the benefit of the doubt. In today’s marketplace, trust needs to be earned. 

If your terms of use, product descriptions, contracts, or website are hard to understand or overly complicated, people will tend to assume that you’re hiding something. Having clear information, policies, and agreements builds trust because it helps people understand what you’re offering, what it will cost, and what will happen if something goes wrong.

Here are some things to keep in mind to make sure your business is earning trust.

"You build trust by acting in a way that demonstrates
the values you claim to represent."

It’s about authenticity
Yes, it’s a bit of a buzzword, but authenticity is just another way to say trust. When people feel like you’re being truthful with them, they’re more likely to pay attention to what you say. That means telling your story with character and integrity. 

For example, if a company presents itself as a champion of the environment but then gets charged with violating pollution laws, it will lose its authenticity and the public’s trust.

Basically, you build trust by acting in a way that demonstrates the values you claim to represent—by being authentic. 

It’s a conversation
Marketing is no longer a simple matter of broadcasting your message to your target audience. It’s now a two-way street, where customers feel that companies should listen and respond to their opinions and concerns. 

Social media has made this interaction a must. Any company that pushes out messages without responding to comments quickly loses the trust of its audience. Companies that ignore complaints made in public will soon find themselves facing a lot of accusations. Hoping that tough questions go away is no longer an option.

On the other hand, starting a conversation can build a lot of trust: treat your customers well, and they will tell the world about it. Testimonials and reviews are some of your best opportunities to let people know how your product works in the real world. And because they don’t come from the company itself, they are easier to trust.

It’s planned
Building trust starts at the top, right in the C-suite. Operating with integrity, deciding on the business’s values, and offering a product you stand behind is the backbone that your strategy will be built on.

When it comes to public perception, though, most of your efforts will go into communications and marketing. Here are some ways you can use your communications strategy to build public trust in your business:

• Make your offerings clear and easy to understand.
• Use plain language in your contracts and terms of service, not legalese.
• Have your leaders create thought leadership pieces (like white papers or blog posts) that demonstrate the values your company holds and tell your story.
• Engage with people on your social media channels in a meaningful way.
• Respond to questions and complaints thoughtfully.

If you could use some help presenting your business to the public to build trust, let’s connect and see if I can help.