The 'Trust Factor' And Marketing
It Is Becoming Increasingly Difficult To Win Your Target Market's Trust
It is Becoming Increasingly Difficult To Convert Your Targeted Prospects To Purchasers
What You Must Do To Earn And Maintain Trust
From The Mad Marketing Tactics Blog
From The TAKING COMMAND Blog
By Douglas E. Castle
Trust is a huge asset in every business situation. It's crucial in marketing and sales.
While it's possible to do business with people who don't trust you, it takes a lot longer-- and it
usually involves complex negotiations and ridiculously detailed contracts. The objective is to
build enough trust at the outset of your branding or advertising or marketing campaign that
prospective customers or clients will gravitate toward your brand. This is becoming
increasingly difficult as people in our society are becoming less and less trusting, and
increasingly distrustful and cynical – disillusionment is the enemy you'll have to fight. If you've
been less than trustworthy in the past, your task will require much harder work over a
significantly longer (and probably more expensive) time in order to effect damage repair. There
are three basic rules:
1. Be Trustworthy
This rule seems obvious, but there's more to it than you'd think. The word "trustworthy"
literally means being "worthy" of "trust"--that is, you need to be the kind of person who
can be depended upon to follow through on commitments that you make.
Here's a quick test. Think over the past six months and list out the commitments you've
made that have fallen through the cracks. If that list is longer than one or two items, then
you're not trustworthy. It's really that simple.
If you're not trustworthy, it's a waste of time to talk about "winning trust" because any
trust that you win will be strictly temporary.
And beware: If you prove untrustworthy, the ensuing disillusionment tends to be
"sticky." If you let down people who (mistakenly) trusted you, they will remember it for
a long time.
2. Create a Reputation
If you want to win trust, simply being trustworthy is necessary but not sufficient. To
create a reputation, you must transform your commitments (and your follow-through)
into publicly available information.
Whenever you make a commitment, send an email or letter, make blog post, or in some
other way create a kind of permanent record that you have done so. (That means, for
instance, that a brief, informal text message won't suffice.) Then do the same when
you've fulfilled that commitment.
This habit has the same effect that advertising has on an essentially good product. It
reminds people what they're getting when they do business with you and your
organization
3. Add Daily Consistency
Trust builds on consistency, which is why commitments (and their fulfilment) is so
important. If you build up more consistency, people will naturally realize that you can be
counted on.
For example: Mr. Philip Styrlund, CEO of The Summit Group, changes his voice mail
message every day to reflect his current thoughts. As for myself, I blog quite frequently
(but you probably already knew that).
When people realize that you're capable of executing a simple task, day after day, they
naturally believe--correctly--that you can be counted upon to deliver, day in and day out.
The following list comes from the blog posting titled “101Simple Ways To Build Trust”.
While each item on the list seems obvious, the underlying trick (missed by most people)
is to consistently be honest with yourself and address every single item on the list. Okay
... get ready to scroll a bit!
How to Build Trust
1. Be honest – if you tell the truth, your clients will trust you. Always be honest
especially when no one is looking.
2. Respect your client – treat your clients with the same respect you would show the
President of your country. Respect their time as well by never being late. If you need
help being on time, check out How to Always Be On Time.
3. Sincerely care - when you truly care about others, it is hard not to trust you.
4. Ask open-ended questions – learn more about your client and be interested in their
answers. Open-ended questions give your client the opportunity to tell you about
themselves. Ask more questions based on the answers that you get.
5. Don’t be perfect – there is always something fishy about someone who seems to
have everything going for them. Don’t waste your energy hiding your mistakes or
weaknesses. This sends a message that you’re not hiding anything and that you want to
build trust.
6. Don’t look at your watch – we’re all on a tight schedule but looking at your watch
when someone is talking is rude. If you must be wary of the time, ask for permission to
look at your watch.
7. Find the win-win – in negotiations, always look for the win-win outcome. Win-lose
outcomes are one-time only events. When both parties win, you strengthen the
relationship.
8. Don’t hedge your answers – be definitive when you can. When you hedge your
answers, you are giving yourself an “out”. How can anyone trust you when you keep
dodging responsibility. Politicians are notorious for hedging their answers. How much
do you trust your politician?
9. Have your clients best interests in mind – clients know when you are looking out
for them and when you are looking out for yourself. It’s hard to trust you when there is a
conflict of interests.
10. Don’t show off – it puts people off and you come off like a self promoter interested
in your own success and not the success of others. This breeds resentment more than
trust.
11. Ask others to endorse you – if you prove yourself trustworthy and you offer great
products and services, don’t be afraid to ask your clients to recommend you. It’s easier
for others to trust you if someone they already trust endorses you.
12. Paraphrase what was said – giving the information back to the client in your own
words is a great way to show you were listening and to demonstrate your understanding.
People trust others who take the time to listen.
13. Be transparent – I have issues trusting people or companies who are not fully
transparent. For example: companies that deliberately hide their prices for their products
and services.
14. Call your client – relationships get weaker if you don’t nurture them. Call your
clients on a periodic basis, not only when you need to sell them something.
15. Take responsibility – when something goes wrong and it’s your fault, take
responsibility right away and focus on the next steps. It’s easier to trust someone who
owns up to their mistakes.
16. Take whatever is being said seriously – don’t dismiss another person’s problem as
being small or counter with the size of your own problems. Just listen. Whatever they
are going through is real and serious for them and you should treat it as such.
17. Add value – value is what people are willing to pay for. Keep doing great work that
adds value and others will reward you with trust.
18. Form a common enemy - when you focus on a common cause, it naturally builds
trust and rapport to deal with the issue.
19. Be poised – its hard to trust someone who gets emotional easily. Breathing helps.
20. Empathize – acknowledge the feelings behind what is being said and show
empathy. Your clients will trust you more when they feel that you understand them.
21. Make the client feel significant – this is a basic human need and if you fulfill it,
outcomes are one-time only events. When both parties win, you strengthen the
relationship.
8. Don’t hedge your answers – be definitive when you can. When you hedge your
answers, you are giving yourself an “out”. How can anyone trust you when you keep
dodging responsibility. Politicians are notorious for hedging their answers. How much
do you trust your politician?
9. Have your clients best interests in mind – clients know when you are looking out
for them and when you are looking out for yourself. It’s hard to trust you when there is a
conflict of interests.
10. Don’t show off – it puts people off and you come off like a self promoter interested
in your own success and not the success of others. This breeds resentment more than
trust.
11. Ask others to endorse you – if you prove yourself trustworthy and you offer great
products and services, don’t be afraid to ask your clients to recommend you. It’s easier
for others to trust you if someone they already trust endorses you.
12. Paraphrase what was said – giving the information back to the client in your own
words is a great way to show you were listening and to demonstrate your understanding.
People trust others who take the time to listen.
13. Be transparent – I have issues trusting people or companies who are not fully
transparent. For example: companies that deliberately hide their prices for their products
and services.
14. Call your client – relationships get weaker if you don’t nurture them. Call your
clients on a periodic basis, not only when you need to sell them something.
15. Take responsibility – when something goes wrong and it’s your fault, take
responsibility right away and focus on the next steps. It’s easier to trust someone who
owns up to their mistakes.
16. Take whatever is being said seriously – don’t dismiss another person’s problem as
being small or counter with the size of your own problems. Just listen. Whatever they
are going through is real and serious for them and you should treat it as such.
17. Add value – value is what people are willing to pay for. Keep doing great work that
adds value and others will reward you with trust.
18. Form a common enemy - when you focus on a common cause, it naturally builds
trust and rapport to deal with the issue.
19. Be poised – its hard to trust someone who gets emotional easily. Breathing helps.
20. Empathize – acknowledge the feelings behind what is being said and show
empathy. Your clients will trust you more when they feel that you understand them.
21. Make the client feel significant – this is a basic human need and if you fulfill it,
people will trust you. Always be sincere when making your clients feel important. They
can tell if you’re faking it.
22. Be accessible - when people know they can get access to you, it builds trust because
they can hold you accountable. People who I can’t reach always seem less trustworthy to
me.
23. Look people in the eye – if you constantly shift your eyes, it makes people
suspicious of you.
24. Remove distractions – if you’re meeting with clients, remove all distractions (turn
off phone, computer screen, etc.) and give them your undivided attention.
25. Have high self-esteem – be comfortable with who you are. Don’t try so hard to
impress, it makes you look wishy-washy. Be careful about these other warning signs of
low self-esteem.
26. Show commitment – when you show commitment, people trust you. Think of men
who propose (and actually get married), employees who sign employment contracts and
people who always show up when they say they will.
27. Say “I don’t know” - admit that you don’t know and say it upfront and direct.
You’ll get a lot of credibility for that.
28. Deliver what you promise – Do what you say you are going to do. This is one of
the best ways to build trust.
29. Use a real picture – if you have an online presence, use a real picture of yourself.
An authentic picture lets me know that you’re not afraid to put yourself out there and
you’re willing to be responsible for what you write on your website and blog.
30. Be vulnerable – trust builds when you open up. Don’t hide your human side, that’s
the side that people connect to.
31. Volunteer information – don’t wait until someone follows up to give information
that is important to them. Let them know as soon as you know.
32. Know your audience – make sure you use language that your client will understand.
If you’re not talking to a technical person, don’t use technical language.
33. Take time to explain – when your client is confused, be patient and take time to
help them understand. They’ll appreciate you for it and reciprocate the next time you’re
confused.
34. Don’t abuse privileges – as you gain more trust, you’ll be given more privileges.
Don’t abuse those privileges.
35. Don’t fidget – be aware of your body movements. Minimize your leg shakes, body
shifts and hand fidgets. It’s hard to trust someone who seems nervous or anxious.
36. Stay up-to-date – your clients’ situation, preferences and needs change over time.
It’s up to you to keep up-to-date through proactive communication. Don’t wait for your
can tell if you’re faking it.
22. Be accessible - when people know they can get access to you, it builds trust because
they can hold you accountable. People who I can’t reach always seem less trustworthy to
me.
23. Look people in the eye – if you constantly shift your eyes, it makes people
suspicious of you.
24. Remove distractions – if you’re meeting with clients, remove all distractions (turn
off phone, computer screen, etc.) and give them your undivided attention.
25. Have high self-esteem – be comfortable with who you are. Don’t try so hard to
impress, it makes you look wishy-washy. Be careful about these other warning signs of
low self-esteem.
26. Show commitment – when you show commitment, people trust you. Think of men
who propose (and actually get married), employees who sign employment contracts and
people who always show up when they say they will.
27. Say “I don’t know” - admit that you don’t know and say it upfront and direct.
You’ll get a lot of credibility for that.
28. Deliver what you promise – Do what you say you are going to do. This is one of
the best ways to build trust.
29. Use a real picture – if you have an online presence, use a real picture of yourself.
An authentic picture lets me know that you’re not afraid to put yourself out there and
you’re willing to be responsible for what you write on your website and blog.
30. Be vulnerable – trust builds when you open up. Don’t hide your human side, that’s
the side that people connect to.
31. Volunteer information – don’t wait until someone follows up to give information
that is important to them. Let them know as soon as you know.
32. Know your audience – make sure you use language that your client will understand.
If you’re not talking to a technical person, don’t use technical language.
33. Take time to explain – when your client is confused, be patient and take time to
help them understand. They’ll appreciate you for it and reciprocate the next time you’re
confused.
34. Don’t abuse privileges – as you gain more trust, you’ll be given more privileges.
Don’t abuse those privileges.
35. Don’t fidget – be aware of your body movements. Minimize your leg shakes, body
shifts and hand fidgets. It’s hard to trust someone who seems nervous or anxious.
36. Stay up-to-date – your clients’ situation, preferences and needs change over time.
It’s up to you to keep up-to-date through proactive communication. Don’t wait for your
clients to update you.
37. Give proper feedback – if you want to build trust, you need to tell your client the
truth when they make mistakes. “Yes Men” are not very trustworthy
38. Don’t name-drop – you might think this will help build your credibility but when
you a drop names, it’s a turn off. It seems like you’re using that person’s name to
compensate for your abilities. For better results, have others endorse you (#16).
39. Stand up for your client – if you feel your client is being taken advantage of in any
way, stand up for them or at the very least, inform them of what’s going on.
40. Make it personal – get out of the office and meet your clients face-to-face. You
need to get personal to build deep trust.
41. Give good advice – if your advice helps people, they’ll trust you and your advice
even more.
42. Go ABCD – go Above and Beyond the Call of Duty. I didn’t make the acronym up
but ABCD is a great strategy for building trust. Always look for ways to over deliver.
43. Don’t hard sell – You may have the best product or service out there that everyone
can benefit from but no one likes to be sold to or feel forced to do things. Build a
relationship, educate and persuade, not badger. Check out Permission Marketing by Seth
Godin (affiliate) or my How to Sell with Integrity Series.
44. Share ideas - when you come across good ideas, share them with your clients. Share
ideas that demonstrate your deep understanding of your clients’ needs.
45. Return calls quickly – if someone leaves a message, call them back as soon as you
can. This makes the other person feel important and makes them like and trust you more.
46. Be curious – ask questions and be genuinely interested to learn more. Resist taking
over the conversation or trying to immediately solve the problem or issue.
47. Keep secrets – if a client tells you something confidential, keep it to yourself unless
it violates your moral and ethical standards.
48. Don’t over-explain – When you over-explain, you’re trying to remove yourself
from being responsible. This is one of the best ways to lose someone’s trust.
49. Show compassion – step into the other person’s shoes. When something bad
happens to your clients, express your sympathies.
50. Value the relationship – show your client that you’re in it for the long-term and
demonstrate that you value the relationship. This may mean taking the first step in a
compromise.
51. Ask for clarification – when asked a question, always clarify it before answering.
Think Columbo – “I may be a little slow here...”
52. Know your outcome – if your goal is to build trust, then your desire to help the
client should surpass your desire to be right or to win. Remember this next time you are
37. Give proper feedback – if you want to build trust, you need to tell your client the
truth when they make mistakes. “Yes Men” are not very trustworthy
38. Don’t name-drop – you might think this will help build your credibility but when
you a drop names, it’s a turn off. It seems like you’re using that person’s name to
compensate for your abilities. For better results, have others endorse you (#16).
39. Stand up for your client – if you feel your client is being taken advantage of in any
way, stand up for them or at the very least, inform them of what’s going on.
40. Make it personal – get out of the office and meet your clients face-to-face. You
need to get personal to build deep trust.
41. Give good advice – if your advice helps people, they’ll trust you and your advice
even more.
42. Go ABCD – go Above and Beyond the Call of Duty. I didn’t make the acronym up
but ABCD is a great strategy for building trust. Always look for ways to over deliver.
43. Don’t hard sell – You may have the best product or service out there that everyone
can benefit from but no one likes to be sold to or feel forced to do things. Build a
relationship, educate and persuade, not badger. Check out Permission Marketing by Seth
Godin (affiliate) or my How to Sell with Integrity Series.
44. Share ideas - when you come across good ideas, share them with your clients. Share
ideas that demonstrate your deep understanding of your clients’ needs.
45. Return calls quickly – if someone leaves a message, call them back as soon as you
can. This makes the other person feel important and makes them like and trust you more.
46. Be curious – ask questions and be genuinely interested to learn more. Resist taking
over the conversation or trying to immediately solve the problem or issue.
47. Keep secrets – if a client tells you something confidential, keep it to yourself unless
it violates your moral and ethical standards.
48. Don’t over-explain – When you over-explain, you’re trying to remove yourself
from being responsible. This is one of the best ways to lose someone’s trust.
49. Show compassion – step into the other person’s shoes. When something bad
happens to your clients, express your sympathies.
50. Value the relationship – show your client that you’re in it for the long-term and
demonstrate that you value the relationship. This may mean taking the first step in a
compromise.
51. Ask for clarification – when asked a question, always clarify it before answering.
Think Columbo – “I may be a little slow here...”
52. Know your outcome – if your goal is to build trust, then your desire to help the
client should surpass your desire to be right or to win. Remember this next time you are
trying to prove how right you are at the expense of your relationship to the client.
53. Don’t use a “fake” voice – some people I know use a “professional” voice that isn’t
their own. Use your own voice. If you don’t like how it sounds, get some voice lessons,
they work.
54. Don’t manipulate – it is possible to use the ideas on this list with the intention to
manipulate. Don’t do it because it won’t end well. It never does.
55. Don’t lie – one small lie can destroy a mountain of trust.
56. Understand that your client is unique – every person in this world is unique and
should be treated as such. A one size fits all approach rarely works.
57. Don’t finish other people’s sentences – even if they are taking a long time at it, be
patient and let them say it.
58. Don’t try too hard – when you are overly servile or deferential, it can be fairly
annoying. I find it hard to trust anyone who cannot think and act for themselves.
59. Never talk down to anyone – there is no situation where this is acceptable.
60. Be competent – always work to improve your skills. If you want to be trusted, you
need to be competent. This is especially important in a leadership role. Think back to
any bosses you’ve had that were incompetent. Did you trust them?
61. Say what you mean – if you think it’s a bad idea, say so. When you build up a
reputation of saying what you mean, people don’t have to second guess what you’re
trying to say. This helps to increase your trustworthiness.
62. Focus on your similarities – highlight what you have in common with the other
person. We like people who are similar and we trust people whom we like.
63. Listen attentively – Replay for the other person something that shows you’ve
listened carefully. This is especially effective when you bring up and help someone with
challenges they’ve told you about in previous conversations where they don’t expect you
to remember.
64. Think abundance – adopt the belief that there is enough for everyone and you are
not in competition for limited resources. Actions that reflect this belief builds trust
because you become more collaborative with those around you and work to raise people
up as opposed to putting them down.
65. Send a birthday card – there is no better way to show that you care than to
remember someone’s birthday and to get them a nice card. In this internet age, a
handwritten card goes a long way.
66. Give specific compliments – the more specific your compliment, the more sincere it
usually is. It shows that you took time to notice.
67. Start and end meetings on time – if you set up a meeting, make sure the agenda is
clear and that the meeting starts and more importantly, ends on time.
53. Don’t use a “fake” voice – some people I know use a “professional” voice that isn’t
their own. Use your own voice. If you don’t like how it sounds, get some voice lessons,
they work.
54. Don’t manipulate – it is possible to use the ideas on this list with the intention to
manipulate. Don’t do it because it won’t end well. It never does.
55. Don’t lie – one small lie can destroy a mountain of trust.
56. Understand that your client is unique – every person in this world is unique and
should be treated as such. A one size fits all approach rarely works.
57. Don’t finish other people’s sentences – even if they are taking a long time at it, be
patient and let them say it.
58. Don’t try too hard – when you are overly servile or deferential, it can be fairly
annoying. I find it hard to trust anyone who cannot think and act for themselves.
59. Never talk down to anyone – there is no situation where this is acceptable.
60. Be competent – always work to improve your skills. If you want to be trusted, you
need to be competent. This is especially important in a leadership role. Think back to
any bosses you’ve had that were incompetent. Did you trust them?
61. Say what you mean – if you think it’s a bad idea, say so. When you build up a
reputation of saying what you mean, people don’t have to second guess what you’re
trying to say. This helps to increase your trustworthiness.
62. Focus on your similarities – highlight what you have in common with the other
person. We like people who are similar and we trust people whom we like.
63. Listen attentively – Replay for the other person something that shows you’ve
listened carefully. This is especially effective when you bring up and help someone with
challenges they’ve told you about in previous conversations where they don’t expect you
to remember.
64. Think abundance – adopt the belief that there is enough for everyone and you are
not in competition for limited resources. Actions that reflect this belief builds trust
because you become more collaborative with those around you and work to raise people
up as opposed to putting them down.
65. Send a birthday card – there is no better way to show that you care than to
remember someone’s birthday and to get them a nice card. In this internet age, a
handwritten card goes a long way.
66. Give specific compliments – the more specific your compliment, the more sincere it
usually is. It shows that you took time to notice.
67. Start and end meetings on time – if you set up a meeting, make sure the agenda is
clear and that the meeting starts and more importantly, ends on time.
68. Be consistent – don’t change your views on a whim. It makes people distrustful.
69. Read books related to emotional intelligence - How to Win Friends and Influence
People by Dale Carnegie and Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman are good places
to start.
70. Don’t gossip – don’t gossip about your clients, don’t gossip about others to your
clients.
71. Give freebies – if you sell a product or service, consider giving a free version of it.
It allows you to help those without resources to access your expertise. Make sure your
freebies are of high quality and valuable.
72. Remember names – there is nothing more interesting to us than our own names.
Show that you remember the other person’s name. If you need help, check out How to
Remember Names Even If You Have Bad Memory.
73. Trust others first – people treat you the way you treat them. Give trust first if you
want to get trust.
74. Be comfortable with silence – don’t feel obligated to fill in the silence. I know it
can be uncomfortable but let the other person think through their ideas and allow them
to break the silence first.
75. Be responsive – if someone is unable to reach you, make sure you respond within 24
hours with an acknowledgment or have a auto-reply message explaining the exact times
when you can be reached.
76. Have integrity – stick to your beliefs and values no matter what. Check out this
article on the Importance of Keeping Integrity in the Workplace.
77. Allow others to help you – sometimes we are so focused on giving that we do not
allow others to give to us. Doing this robs them of the joy of giving. Let others give.
78. Don’t blame – when things go wrong, don’t point fingers. Empower yourself by
taking responsibility and then determining what you’re going to do next. Don’t waste the
present thinking about the past that can’t be changed. A person that doesn’t blame
quickly gains the trust of others.
79. Be yourself – don’t change who you are to please other people. It’s tiring for
everyone. If you don’t know how to be yourself, check out this article by Chris
Guillebeau.
80. Express emotions – “just the facts” may be appropriate during an investigation but
when dealing with people, emotions add the human element which is key for building
trust
81. Pay attention – be attentive to the body language to make sure it matches the
meaning of the spoken language.
82. Don’t prejudge – listen with an open mind and take in what is being said without
coloring it with your own judgments.
69. Read books related to emotional intelligence - How to Win Friends and Influence
People by Dale Carnegie and Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman are good places
to start.
70. Don’t gossip – don’t gossip about your clients, don’t gossip about others to your
clients.
71. Give freebies – if you sell a product or service, consider giving a free version of it.
It allows you to help those without resources to access your expertise. Make sure your
freebies are of high quality and valuable.
72. Remember names – there is nothing more interesting to us than our own names.
Show that you remember the other person’s name. If you need help, check out How to
Remember Names Even If You Have Bad Memory.
73. Trust others first – people treat you the way you treat them. Give trust first if you
want to get trust.
74. Be comfortable with silence – don’t feel obligated to fill in the silence. I know it
can be uncomfortable but let the other person think through their ideas and allow them
to break the silence first.
75. Be responsive – if someone is unable to reach you, make sure you respond within 24
hours with an acknowledgment or have a auto-reply message explaining the exact times
when you can be reached.
76. Have integrity – stick to your beliefs and values no matter what. Check out this
article on the Importance of Keeping Integrity in the Workplace.
77. Allow others to help you – sometimes we are so focused on giving that we do not
allow others to give to us. Doing this robs them of the joy of giving. Let others give.
78. Don’t blame – when things go wrong, don’t point fingers. Empower yourself by
taking responsibility and then determining what you’re going to do next. Don’t waste the
present thinking about the past that can’t be changed. A person that doesn’t blame
quickly gains the trust of others.
79. Be yourself – don’t change who you are to please other people. It’s tiring for
everyone. If you don’t know how to be yourself, check out this article by Chris
Guillebeau.
80. Express emotions – “just the facts” may be appropriate during an investigation but
when dealing with people, emotions add the human element which is key for building
trust
81. Pay attention – be attentive to the body language to make sure it matches the
meaning of the spoken language.
82. Don’t prejudge – listen with an open mind and take in what is being said without
coloring it with your own judgments.
83. Understand that the map is not the territory – our reality is only our perception of
reality. Understanding that everyone perceives the world differently allows us to be
more open-minded and accepting of ideas.
84. Don’t interrupt – when you interrupt, you are telling everyone that what you have
to say is more important than what anyone else has to say.
85. Get testimonials – if you do great work, ask your clients to write testimonials for
you. These are the first things I read before buying anything. Never fake testimonials.
86. Don’t be a know-it-all – you can’t possibly know how to do everything and you
don’t need to. Always be transparent about what you know and don’t imply that you
know more that you actually do. Being human is a good thing.
87. Have passion – when I see someone who is motivated by their passion and not
money, status or power, I am more inclined to trust them. Perhaps it is the feeling that
they are not trying to take anything away from me but rather they are building something
great.
88. Show loyalty – a person that demonstrates firm and constant support is usually a
person that other people want to trust.
89. Do your research – make an effort to understand your client. The more you get
them, the faster they’ll think of you as an insider. Your goal is to be invited to the inner
circle.
90. Give credit – the more credit you give to others, the more people will trust you.
“There is no limit to the good man can do if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” –
Judson B. Branch
91. Have an opinion – people who never take sides have trouble building trust because
they are not willing to take a stand.
92. Don’t expect anything in return – help people and don’t expect anything in return.
You’ll be happier for it and giving is always better than receiving.
93. Uphold accountability – trust is not about letting things slide. It’s about doing what
is best for your client.
94. Never exaggerate – it’s tempting to play up the benefits about your products and
services but exaggerations never end well. Any form of “truth stretching” is a bad idea if
you want to build trust.
95. Make things right – when you make a mistake, in addition to learning from it, you
should make it right in some way. At Pret-a-Manger, when they got my order wrong,
they gave me my order for free along with a free cup of coffee. I now go twice as often.
96. Don’t flatter – insincere compliments are one of the quickest ways to lose rapport
and trust with someone.
97. Trust yourself – you can’t give what you don’t have and you can’t get what you
don’t give (say that 5 times fast).
reality. Understanding that everyone perceives the world differently allows us to be
more open-minded and accepting of ideas.
84. Don’t interrupt – when you interrupt, you are telling everyone that what you have
to say is more important than what anyone else has to say.
85. Get testimonials – if you do great work, ask your clients to write testimonials for
you. These are the first things I read before buying anything. Never fake testimonials.
86. Don’t be a know-it-all – you can’t possibly know how to do everything and you
don’t need to. Always be transparent about what you know and don’t imply that you
know more that you actually do. Being human is a good thing.
87. Have passion – when I see someone who is motivated by their passion and not
money, status or power, I am more inclined to trust them. Perhaps it is the feeling that
they are not trying to take anything away from me but rather they are building something
great.
88. Show loyalty – a person that demonstrates firm and constant support is usually a
person that other people want to trust.
89. Do your research – make an effort to understand your client. The more you get
them, the faster they’ll think of you as an insider. Your goal is to be invited to the inner
circle.
90. Give credit – the more credit you give to others, the more people will trust you.
“There is no limit to the good man can do if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” –
Judson B. Branch
91. Have an opinion – people who never take sides have trouble building trust because
they are not willing to take a stand.
92. Don’t expect anything in return – help people and don’t expect anything in return.
You’ll be happier for it and giving is always better than receiving.
93. Uphold accountability – trust is not about letting things slide. It’s about doing what
is best for your client.
94. Never exaggerate – it’s tempting to play up the benefits about your products and
services but exaggerations never end well. Any form of “truth stretching” is a bad idea if
you want to build trust.
95. Make things right – when you make a mistake, in addition to learning from it, you
should make it right in some way. At Pret-a-Manger, when they got my order wrong,
they gave me my order for free along with a free cup of coffee. I now go twice as often.
96. Don’t flatter – insincere compliments are one of the quickest ways to lose rapport
and trust with someone.
97. Trust yourself – you can’t give what you don’t have and you can’t get what you
don’t give (say that 5 times fast).
98. Be fair – treat people fairly. Like a good parent, don’t play favorites. Reward and
punish accordingly.
99. Help their children – if you have clients who have children, find a way to help their
kids. You can give them advice, write a letter of recommendation or give them a job.
Your deeds will definitely not be forgotten and you’ll find yourself being introduced as a
friend of the family.
100. Don’t give up – just because someone doesn’t trust you now, doesn’t mean you
can’t build it. If what you’re doing is not working, try something else. You have 101
things you can do.
101. Be enthusiastic – most people can’t fake enthusiasm. When you are enthusiastic
about what you do, people are more likely to trust you.
The Takeaway:In a difficult and disillusioned economy, with consumers (both B2B andB2C) wary of scams, poor customer service, indifferent treatment and a host of other classic deal-killers and money-losing propositions, you must differentiate yourself, your company and your brand from your prospective competitors by being exceptionally trustworthy. Being trustworthy is the basis of most referral business and client retention, and while it might cost you more in terms of time and money invested, the return on an investment in developing a reputation for being trustworthy is enormous – especially in times of tight money and competition for limited dollars.
Douglas E. Castle
Labels, Tags, Categories, Keywords And Search Terms For This Post: trust factor, marketing, reliability, responsibility, follow-through, Mad Marketing Tactics, Taking Command Blog, Douglas E. Castle, consistency, promises, fulfillment, behavioral psychology, branding, differentiation, service, customer experience management, referral business, retaining customer loyalty.
punish accordingly.
99. Help their children – if you have clients who have children, find a way to help their
kids. You can give them advice, write a letter of recommendation or give them a job.
Your deeds will definitely not be forgotten and you’ll find yourself being introduced as a
friend of the family.
100. Don’t give up – just because someone doesn’t trust you now, doesn’t mean you
can’t build it. If what you’re doing is not working, try something else. You have 101
things you can do.
101. Be enthusiastic – most people can’t fake enthusiasm. When you are enthusiastic
about what you do, people are more likely to trust you.
The Takeaway:In a difficult and disillusioned economy, with consumers (both B2B andB2C) wary of scams, poor customer service, indifferent treatment and a host of other classic deal-killers and money-losing propositions, you must differentiate yourself, your company and your brand from your prospective competitors by being exceptionally trustworthy. Being trustworthy is the basis of most referral business and client retention, and while it might cost you more in terms of time and money invested, the return on an investment in developing a reputation for being trustworthy is enormous – especially in times of tight money and competition for limited dollars.
Douglas E. Castle
Labels, Tags, Categories, Keywords And Search Terms For This Post: trust factor, marketing, reliability, responsibility, follow-through, Mad Marketing Tactics, Taking Command Blog, Douglas E. Castle, consistency, promises, fulfillment, behavioral psychology, branding, differentiation, service, customer experience management, referral business, retaining customer loyalty.
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