In any relationship, trust is essential. In a business relationship, it’s the difference between a happy customer and one who’ll never be back. Building this strong relationship is all about demonstrating your business’s integrity. It’s about reassuring customers that you’ve got their best interests at heart, and that you’ll keep your word on any given promise. Here are a few ways that companies can build and maintain client trust, with new customers and old.
Maintain your promises
Don’t promise the earth if you can’t deliver. Make realistic deadlines, and stick to them. If you know that a piece of work will take four days, promise them five just in case. A broken promise almost guarantees no return business. If something does go wrong, make it clear that you’re doing everything in your power to fix it. Clear and open communication is the only way to avoid that bridge burning.
Respect their time
As an entrepreneur, being courteous costs nothing, and demonstrates to a client that they’re important to you. Being mindful of how you’re using their time is essential. Reply to emails promptly, and never miss a telephone conference, or even turn up late. Organization is key. Of course, the more clients you get, the easier it is for things to overrun, but good organization can help to negate the problems of overlapping.
Prioritize their security
Customers entrust us with a lot of their personal information. If this information gets into the wrong hands, the results can be truly sinister. Maintain effective security and firewalls for all online data. Good storage and servers will also help to ensure that their data is safe. Click here to find out more about how DNS services could help to keep your company and your clients’ information safe. One breach of trust will spell all manner of problems for your business.
Over over-exaggerating
When trying to sell yourself or your company, only use honest and quantifiable facts. When we over-exaggerate, it can be very clear to others, who will then wonder what your real credentials are. A bit of humility, and a few select testimonials, will go a lot further than a brag and a boast.
Create clear lines of communication
Your client will have expectations of you, and you will have expectations of them, which you cannot possibly exchange without good communication. They might have concerns, or queries, which, when communicated effectively, can easily be assuaged. A company’s transparency and openness in communications is the key to building a client’s trust.
Never let professionalism slip
Keep all correspondences completely professional, even after you’ve been dealing with a client for some time. Breaking down that professionalism could be construed as a slipping of standards or a pushing of boundaries.
Go the extra mile
Finally remember: when you give a little bit extra, you essentially earn a client’s favor. You’re demonstrating that their custom is important to you, and that you want them around. It doesn’t have to be anything huge, but a small token gesture to show your appreciation of their custom can go a long way.
