When customers trust you, they are more likely to buy products from you. They need to trust that your messages are precise and what you’re selling matches up to what you say it is and that if anything goes wrong with the transaction, they will have your support.
One of the things many small business startups neglect is customer retention. They are mostly focused on how to get clients such that when they eventually get clients, they lose them without even knowing.
Customer retention refers to a company's ability to retain its clients. After making so many efforts to gather clients, failure to maintain these clients will render your efforts futile.
There is a need to balance it up by learning several methods and techniques of customer retention. This will help your brand grow and improve to the level you want. This article stands to enlighten you on 20 practices that can make clients trust your brand.
Trust is a firm belief in the ability of someone. Have you reached a point in your business whereby clients can trust you to deliver quality products and services? If you have, then I congratulate you on a job well done.
If you have not, this article talks exclusively on the practices that help you build trust with clients. Trust is one of the most critical factors in growing a business.
After much research, I have realized that it costs about five times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one. According to American Express, 78% of customers have bailed on a proposed transaction because of a poor experience. This is to tell you how vital gaining customers' in a business.
So let's take a look into the following guidelines below to answer the question, "how do you build trust with your clients?" :
Most businesses, after taking the time to invest in marketing their products and services, neglect the time factor. No one loves to be ignored. When a client sees you are not always available, he moves on to another company.
Give responses to emails on time, phone calls, and text messages on time. When you always respond anytime they beckon, they will begin to trust you.
This is where most clients get disappointed, pack up their stuff, and go somewhere else. Always be prompt in delivering your services such that the client sees you as reliable and trustworthy.
In your business, maybe you have a schedule as regards when you work and how you run your business. For instance, as a cleaning company, you only work on weekdays and never on weekends. You can make some compromises to accommodate the client.
When a customer keeps getting answers to his frequent problems from your brand, you can be sure that he will keep coming back.
To build trust with customers, you may need to go the extra mile to retain them. Going the extra mile may entail doing unpaid services or free service, doing your work more than their expectations, and so on.
Let's talk about your brand for a moment. What do you offer? Are your services reliable? Most people focus on marketing their products and services to get clients, but in the real sense, their products are not authentic.
Before thinking about clients, first, build your brand offerings in such a way that it is reliable and trustworthy. You can be expecting the client to stay when you don't provide them with what they want.
Let's take a look into three strategies that have helped many businesses and small startups retain their clients and "how do you build trust in a brand?"
Take some time to evaluate your business based on what you provide to your customers. You can carry out some test procedures, such as customer feedback, to ensure that you're providing value. When customers realize that you're just about the dollar, they lose trust in your brand.
Always be open and transparent in your judgment. Being open refers to when you say things the way they are. If your product is not going to solve the problem of a client, be honest about it.
For instance, Fly XO is a company that offers private aviation charter services to clients on a case-by-case basis. They divided their services into three categories- classic, premium, and luxe based on what their clients can afford.
Still focusing on your brand, ensure that the products and services you offer are of good quality. What do clients say when your product is delivered to them? When your product and services are of low quality, you will end up getting poor feedback, which affects your brand trust negatively.
It remains the fact that the most significant assets of a business are the customers. Your main goal should be satisfying them with your services. Here are 20 practices that can make both new and existing clients develop trust for your brand.
Instead of leaving a new client to learn how to use your products, you can organize an onboarding process. This involves teaching the client how to use your products and services.
Take some time to organize surveys to get customers' feedback on your services. You cannot improve your brand without knowing what your clients feel about your offering. Also, by doing this, your customers will understand that you value their response to your product and services.
Even if a customer visits your website, purchases once, and leaves, there is still a need to communicate with that client from time to time continually. Not to talk of the existing clients that patronize you frequently. This will show that you value them.
You can organize a reward program for clients annually in the form of discounts and freebies as a way to foster cordial relationships and build trust with them.
When your customers feel secure with your services, then you have no problem as regards trust. They can come to you anytime they need your help without thinking twice.
Ensure that your services are consistent. When customers perceive a drop in the quality of your products and services, they begin to doubt the legitimacy of your business.
This is more of a human factor. When customers can communicate with your brand any day, they become attached.
Every customer has a level of expectation when trying to patronize your brand. They understand what they want. Try to offer services according to customers' expectations.
Let your customers feel they are essential and valued by being committed to their service. Deliver your products and services on time, as promised.
Give room for improvement. What differentiates top brands from others is the way they improve on their services. Devise a means that will allow customer experience more enjoyable.
Engage clients with automated emails, informing on new products and services available. For instance, some companies organize seminars or webinars just to keep customers engaged as well as foster a good relationship with them.
As a business, aspire to build a strong online presence. Maximize social media to build a cordial relationship with your clients. Develop a community on popular media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and so on.
A new client or existing client may want to order a product on your website and stumbles on an educational content. As a result of that, the client will keep coming.
Endeavor to build a relationship rather than making money. When you are eventually able to create a cordial relationship with your client, you can worry less about conversion.
Let your clients know you for who you are and what your brand stands for. This will help you develop an identity in the industry.
Many businesses just to make more sales, they deceive customers into purchasing products that are of no value to them. This reduces the credibility of your business. Ensure you're transparent enough in your offerings.
Develop systems that will always be available for customers at all times. I am talking about quality customer service that can cater to their needs at any time they encounter a problem.
The majority of customers desert brands because they are not satisfied with their service. Take your time to understand client needs.
When you take the chance to solve a client's problem, then he will always trust your brand. The client can even go ahead to refer to your brand friends and family because of that act.
Customers can get frustrated when their complaint is not attended to immediately. Try to create an organized system of catering for every one of your client's complaints on time.
For small businesses trying to improve their businesses, these 20 strategies can assist in retaining and building trustworthy relationships with clients. However, we must note that there is no strategy mentioned above that will work immediately. It may take a while before it starts to take effect.
Author: Frank Stovall
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Frank Stovall is an avid traveler, rock climber, and adventurer. As the active public relations manager for XO where one can book a flight on private jets in an instant, he is able to travel far and wide with Joshua Tree National Park being one of his favorite recent destinations.
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