7 Trust-Building Tips To Use In Your Business
By Chelsea Berler, Entrepreneur and CEO of Solamar
Getting customers, clients and employees to trust you can be complicated, but it is imperative for success -- perhaps more important than sales. If you get others to trust you, it's easier to grow and nurture your business and give everyone excellent service. But trust is fragile. If you lose it, it's very difficult -- if not impossible -- to restore it.
I wholeheartedly agree with George MacDonald, the nineteenth century Scottish author and poet, who said "To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved." In business, that's the kind of compliment you can take to the bank.
Getting customers, clients and employees to trust you can be complicated, but it is imperative for success -- perhaps more important than sales. If you get others to trust you, it's easier to grow and nurture your business and give everyone excellent service. But trust is fragile. If you lose it, it's very difficult -- if not impossible -- to restore it.
So, where do you start
with this trust thing?
Trust
is mysterious and often elusive. No one can tell you exactly where it
originates or how it develops. The trust process is incomprehensible.
You can't fake it. You can't go through the motions or pay it lip
service.
I
know firsthand how puzzling trust is. As soon as I think I've wrapped
my head around trust, the inexplicable, elusive belief floats away.
Quite frankly, I've found that it's often easier to mistrust than trust.
That makes me angry since that's like being guilty until proven
innocent -- the opposite of our legal system.
Along
the way, however, I've found seven concrete actions that build trust in
a business environment. These actions build trust through
communication, commitment and competence.
1. Demonstrate that you trust others.
One
way to do this is to be generous and forgiving when someone else makes a
mistake or disappoints you in some way. People who always jump to the
worst conclusion about a person’s competence or motivation inspire
wariness, not trust.
Most people don’t set out to be mean or
stupid, so give them the benefit of the doubt until you have contrary
information that proves you wrong. You'll feel better about them, and
they'll trust you for your generosity.
2. Create relationships that are mutually beneficial.
Customers,
coworkers and employees all want to believe that they are making the
right decision to work with you. This takes a lot more than clichés and
platitudes. Customers should clearly understand the value of your
products and services to them. Likewise, employees should feel good
about taking ownership, which introduces an added measure of
accountability and demonstrates the level of trust you have in them.
In other words, trust is about showing people that you care about them. In turn, they will care about and trust you.
3. Directly address issues.
Ruffled
feathers are inevitable in any relationship. How you deal with concerns
and problems is what instills trust and loyalty. In the course of a
busy business day, it's easy to get distracted and become disconnected
with what's happening on the front lines.
Customer
trust develops from the first contact and extends through service
delivery, implementation, care and support. At each step, you can either
damage or enhance this experience for your customers. That's why it's
so important to deliver on promises if you want to be trusted.
If
you want people to trust you, you have to care. Address complaints
fast. Share information. Gain their confidence. Exude pride and passion
about your business. Resolve conflicts quickly. These actions separate
you from the pack, while also building and maintaining trust.
4. Tell the truth.
Let's say that one more time for good measure -- tell the truth.
Never
assume that certain people can’t handle the truth. Be as honest with
your employees and customers as you expect them to be with you. If you
get caught in a lie, no one will trust you. You don't often get a second
chance to make a first impression, so don't count on it.
Keeping
your promises is also a part of telling the truth. Don’t commit to a
promise you can’t deliver. Think about what’s realistic, and do your
best to live up to your word.
5. Be flexible and patient.
Be
tolerant of mistakes, and don’t be an inflexible judge. Meet the other
person in the middle. Be considerate of events and negative experiences
that may have affected one’s ability to trust. Make exceptions to the
rules when common sense dictates. Consider unusual alternatives for
problems that can’t be resolved by typical methods.
Remember,
trust is built over time, especially when you deal with someone who
isn't fortunate enough to have experienced trust in his or her own life.
6. Respect their time.
I
believe that people in our society are losing their sense of civility,
courtesy and respect. To get people to trust you, you will be
well-served to raise your awareness of other people’s time, personal
schedule and needs. This means you should:
- Promptly return phone calls
- Promptly reply to emails and thoroughly address all points raised
- Be on time for meetings, and log on to a scheduled call two minutes in advance of start time
- Hold fast to estimated call end times, and inquire if attendees are free to keep going
7. Deliver the unexpected.
The
best way to deliver trust is to surprise and delight clients and
customers. Give them what they asked for, but on top of that, deliver
more -- more service, more time, more convenience and more
sensitivity. Delivering more than they expect goes a long way and adds
real value and trust. As a bonus, customers will tell others about how
you delivered more. This should net you more business.I wholeheartedly agree with George MacDonald, the nineteenth century Scottish author and poet, who said "To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved." In business, that's the kind of compliment you can take to the bank.
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