Trust is everything. Despite what some business manuals may tell you about the hard sell, honesty and integrity are much more powerful for establishing and maintaining a customer base than using persuasion, smoke and mirrors.

Long-term business relationships between your organisation and your customers must be built on a culture of trust.

Here are our top five tips for developing a foundation of trust with your customers:

 1. Be Yourself

 Rather than acting or sounding like businessperson in a meeting, just be yourself. Potential customers are much more likely to invest in what you are telling them if it comes from a personable, human place. If a customer believes they are the victim of a hard sell, they tend to clam up.

 2. Consistency

Consistent and persistent behaviour over time is a sure-fire way to build customer trust.

While you might think that being edgy and unpredictable gives you a competitive edge and makes your company look cool, customers prefer to know what they are getting. By adopting a consistent approach, your customers are much more likely to trust you. They know what you are about and trust that your services and products will remain at the same (high) standard every time.

 3. Conversation

 Don’t think of every business meeting as a sales pitch. Cultivate a real dialogue – it is more approachable and personable, and will encourage customers to relax, and to trust your honesty.

A great relationship with your customers relies on connection. Sit down. Have a conversation. Even tell them a story. Break down the barriers and earn their trust before you get down to the business of the day.

 4.    Stick To Your Guns

Above all, integrity is important to develop trust and a good reputation with your customers. There is a reason long established institutions still command large portions of the market, even if their prices cannot compete with the latest online companies. They have credibility and customer trust built up over many years. They have a proven record.

Be willing to stand up for what you believe in and, if something is non-negotiable, say so. Make decisions based on what you know is right and a good customer will respect your integrity.

Be honest with yourself and with your customer. While they may not always like what they hear, they will respect that you always give it to them straight. In the long term, that is more valuable than telling customers what you think they want to hear.

It doesn’t end there.

5. Maintenance

If you are to enjoy the benefits of any long-term, well-established customer relationships, you must maintain their trust. To do this, you must establish a reputation of honesty, loyalty and integrity and build it into the fabric of your company image and culture.

A trustworthy reputation and customer loyalty have a measurable impact on any ‘bottom line’.  Make it a part of your DNA.

If you need any advice on how to cultivate a culture of customer trust, give us a call.