One of the best ways to keep customers coming back for more is by nurturing a strong relationship built on trust.
Don’t this takes some effort – effort that’s well worth it!
You’ve likely heard someone say, “trust is earned”. This is part of a larger saying, “Trust is earned, respect is given, and loyalty is demonstrated. Betrayal of any one of those is to lose all three.” (Ziad K. Abdelnour)
With such high importance on trust in business relationships, you may be wondering about a few best ways to achieve it. As you can expect – this article shares a couple of best practices to make it so.
Keep Communication Channels Open
Your customers will likely want to talk to you but without a channel, you won’t be able to take in suggestions, feedback, and questions. You can build trust in your customers by answering their questions and concerns in an open format – this always lets other customers find these answers when they too have the query.
A few suggestions would be:
- Q&A video sessions
- Social media
- Blog posts
It’s a win/win because you’re taking care of people while also demonstrating your expertise and authority, too. This goes a long way in building a following and encouraging strong relationships with your audience and clients.
Now…
If you’re strapped for time and can’t get to everyone then try to find a happy medium. Maybe prioritize high-end clients for 1-on-1 sessions while doing open formats (on social media) for everyone else, when your schedule allows.
Go Above and Beyond for Everyone
You don’t really have the budget like you would a multi-billion-dollar business that has teams of customer relationship managers there interacting with clients. What you’ve got is yourself and maybe a small team.
Despite all this – you can still create an incredible experience for your audience and customers.
All it takes is that little extra to transform a good experience into great.
Maybe that’s providing a little extra attention to detail in how you interact with someone. Or, maybe it’s sweetening the pot with some kind of bonus to go with a sale. It can even just be a memorable follow-up sequence that makes them feel appreciated and supported.
There’s a reason to always give it your best:
- You’ll encourage these stronger relationships
- You’ll encourage referrals (in case they don’t buy)
Make every touchpoint a wonderful experience and you’ll transform their buying experience into one where they want to keep coming back for more!
Use Testimonials in Your Copy
Testimonials are an excellent element to use to help build trust in your customers.
Customers that openly talk about your products will give other customers a relatable, real-world experience. It also gets people highlighting what they enjoy most about what you offer – which keeps you in mind.
Client testimonials offer a two-fold benefit:
- It lets you reconnect with someone
- It makes them feel influential
Think back to a business you really loved. How you became a champion for one of their products and wanted to share the experience with everyone. Then, how awesome it was when the brand recognized your efforts and amplified your thoughts with a retweet or added a testimonial to their home page.
Clients start to feel like they’re part of something bigger when they’re involved.
Someone new coming to the business will see and appreciate this. They’ll feel as if they can trust you because of how much effort and care you’re putting into your audience and customers. So, it gives them a great reason to become part of that list, too.
Offer a Ridiculously Great Guarantee
Buyer’s remorse happens when a customer purchases your product but then they regret their decision because they shouldn’t have spent the money, weren’t sure about the overall value, and if they truly needed the item.
A great way to build trust is through a guarantee which helps to ease buyer’s remorse.
Don’t half-ass a guarantee either.
Do it 100% or none at all.
No one wants to have to go through hoops getting a guarantee honored. In fact, they’ll probably go out of their way now to write a bad review and tell others to avoid your business. However, if you made good on your promise then they may come back in the future or you could even turn this into a triumphant experience – one that gets people saying “wow, even their guarantee was above and beyond!”
Create a Quality Product & Service
Plain and simple…
…don’t release shitty stuff.
Strive to create the best product or service you can.
So many businesses out there will do whatever it takes to use cheap supplies in their products which ultimately cause a hassle for customers when it breaks or stops working. Avoid appearing cheap by spending the extra time and money to develop products that hold their value and quality for many years to come.
Be proud of what you offer.
Create stuff that can be handed down through the generations.
Do this and people will see your brand with esteem. It’ll give people a solid reason to buy from you. It’ll have people staying customers for many years (perhaps even a lifetime!)
Earn Their Trust, Win Their Patronage
Destroying the trust of a customer will not only end the relationship but has other negative effects such as a customer deterring others from using your business. To avoid this – always do your best & strive to build a strong community that will support your success for many years to come.
We’ve shared a few ways to earn trust. Now, put them to work.
See what else you can do to deliver exceptional experiences, too. There’s only positivity when you go above and beyond with your engagement.