Trust leads to all things good in the business world these days. This is how to build more of it among customers.
When customers trust your company, they’ll buy more and recommend you more often. More business, more profits, more success — all things good.
Anyone who deals with customers directly every day have the most important role in building trust with customers, according to Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little Teal Book of Trust.
Establish guidelines
Here are seven ways they can strengthen customer relationships:
- Tell the truth. This is especially important when it’s bad news. Customers can handle setbacks or mistakes, but they won’t accept anything that covers them up.
- Always deliver what you promise. One rule makes this possible: Promise less than what you know you can deliver. You’ll build trust and wow customers when you deliver more than what was promised.
- Communicate quickly. Whether you have a complete answer or not, respond to email, voice mail and missed communication within a day.
- Be on time. When you make deliveries or return calls on time, or meet other deadlines, you tell customers that you value their time. Plus, you continue to show reliability.
- Be extra friendly. People who smile more are believed to be more honest than those who do it less frequently, studies have shown.
- Stay sincere. Actions need to be in line with words and tone. For instance, if you say, “We appreciate your business” with a flat tone while not looking at customers, they won’t trust it’s true.
- Be consistent. All of these keys have to be practiced by everyone in your company every day for them to matter. Work with everyone who interacts with customers to establish trust guidelines that work for you.
