Last week I had the pleasure of listening to author and speaker Charlie Greene (Trust-Based Selling and Trusted Advisor) talk about how to build trust with customers. When you spend time contemplating how to attract and retain more customers, the concept of building trust must be the underlying foundation supporting all your initiatives. Retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, contractors, professional service providers and nonprofit directors alike all seek relationships with customers that are predicated on trust.
It stands to reason that the more crediblity you have, the more people will want to do business with you. So - how do you build and sustain their trust? You need to act with reliability (if your product breaks down, how do you solve your customer’s complaint?); you need to focus on the customer’s perspective (how long does your client sit in your lobby waiting for an appointment?); and you need to be transparent and honest (do you make promises you know you can’t keep?). Your sincere concern for solving the customer’s needs instead of focusing on your own bottom line becomes immediately apparent. Ultimately your bottom line will grow as a result of your commitment to customers, but it cannot be your main focus because, over time, your customers will find somewhere else to go where they will be treated with respect and where their needs are addressed sincerely, quickly and efficiently.