Building Customer Trust in 5 Easy Steps
Success in sales is based on the ability to gain consumers’ trust. It’s simple – customers don’t buy from people they don’t trust. While selling is often defined in terms of persuading or winning people, a successful sales strategy isn’t about convincing customers to buy. It’s about showing that you have their best interest at heart and gaining their trust.
Here are 5 steps to help you build customer trust in a business relationship and develop a strategy for success in sales.
1. Focus on consistency
If you show to a customer that your behavior is consistent over time, they’ll be more likely to trust you. This is how you demonstrate that you’re reliable and able to deliver quality service over time.
Customers get accustomed to processes so make sure that all critical information is available through different channels and that the process looks the same every time. Have a procedure in place and stick to it. For instance, when placing an order, the delivery should be scheduled and the customer should be notified with a tracking number.
Avoid repeating information to customers by ensuring smooth communication between various departments at your organization.
2. Build a seamless experience
Nothing builds consumer trust like the elimination of process barriers. Help customers save time and have a great experience. You’ll be rewarded with their trust.
Allow customers to easily switch between channels to ensure top customer satisfaction and close the sale.
Optimize their experience with a variety of features like callbacks, IVR menus, or a responsive website. Provide them with a comprehensive FAQ section full of valuable information about your service or product.
3. Ask your customers for feedback
Showing your customers that you value their opinion is a solid method to build trust. Ask them for feedback in regular surveys or on social media. If a customer gives you a low score, contact them by phone to better understand their needs and rebuild the trust you might have lost.
Show them that their thoughts and ideas are welcome. If you follow a customer’s suggestion, demonstrate it to your followers on social media. Trust your customer’s opinion and they’ll trust you back. They might even become your brand advocates.
4. Be honest and add a personal touch to your communications
This is obvious, but you should be respectful and polite with customers. Address them by their name, make sure that the interaction with you is clear to them, and apologize for any difficulties.
They deserve that kind of treatment, and will be grateful if you recognize they’ve got no time or money to waste. Answer their queries as quickly as possible, keep them updated about deliveries and communicate all relevant information. Also, remember to follow up after resolving a customer service case.
5. Keep an open mind, but show integrity
Sometimes you might get absolutely convinced that a customer needs your product. This is where you become close-minded. Customers can easily sense that, and become close-minded as well – but to your disadvantage!
Never assume that your product or service is the best solution to the customer’s problem. Be open to the idea that your offer might not be suited to them for various reasons. Have their best interests at heart, and let it guide your interactions. Once they feel it, they’ll develop trust in you and seriously consider your offer.
Still, if there’s something that doesn’t feel right, be willing to take a stand and talk about it. Show integrity and never promise things you can’t deliver. You’ve got a product customers want and need, so add value by showing them that it might be just the solution they’re looking for.
Take these 5 steps when building the relationship with your clients and you’ll be on your way to closing more deals than ever.
Author Bio:
Jessica Gust is a Marketing Assistant at Localpeek.co.uk- a new postcode finder. She is passionate about new marketing strategies, she is always eager to share her ideas through blogging.
