How to Build Trust in Your Brand

Trust matters for any brand’s success

When a business is just starting out, it’s hard to build a positive track record that will attract and resonate well with customers. For instance, customers are depending on online review and referrals more and more. BrightLocal’s 2018 Local Consumer Review Survey showed that 86 percent of consumers read customer reviews before deciding to go with local businesses. And, customers read 10 reviews on average before they feel like they can actually trust a brand.

So how can you deal with these statistics as a new brand? In the early stages, it’s all about the messages your sending to both employees and potential clients. Try these strategies to start creating a trustworthy brand that customers can respect and depend on.

Open doors for people

An effective leader recognizes that compassion is an important tool – not something to be repressed, as some stereotypes of bosses would have us believe. Instead of being a dictator, try being a trustworthy leader that opens doors for people, figuratively and literally.

Practice kindness both with your employees and your clients. Show your team that you’re not the only one calling the shots and that their input matters. With clients, truly show them that you’re listening to their needs when you speak with them and not just trying to get a commission or check a number off a list.

Because kindness can be hard to come by in business, taking a deep breath and approaching any situation with a good attitude, even when you want to yell or scream at someone, is a great way to earn trust fast.

As leadership development coach Bill Treasurer said, “The first law of leadership is: It’s not about you.” Investing in people is how businesses grow while also growing the trust of their audience.

Admit your mistakes

There’s nothing worse than a business leader trying to avoid the fact that he or she made a mistake. Or, blaming others for that mistake.

Reliable, consistent leaders take responsibility for every slip-up, sometimes even when it’s a mistake an employee at the bottom of the food chain made. Audiences appreciate this gesture because it’s honest and respectable. Just like you wouldn’t trust a friend who lied to you about doing something wrong, clients aren’t going to trust a brand that shows no self-awareness or is tone deaf to the common decency that people expect.

Author Damion Lupo says that if you’re in motion, “you’re gonna make mistakes,” and that leaders must keep moving forward boldly, even when faced with adversity.

If leaders set a precedent for employees to face mistakes and move on from them, companies will start to succeed. Spread the word that mistakes, while sometimes hard to deal with, can be perfect opportunities to learn something valuable.

Practice listening, not responding

Many leaders feel that they have to constantly be on the defensive, ready to face any opposition with an impenetrable stance. While this kind of attitude no doubt comes from a desire to protect, it’s not exactly the best way to build trust in your brand.

Instead of being the first to talk or to get defensive, try listening without responding at all. Whether you’re talking to a customer or employee, recognize that this person’s opinion may reflect the opinion of many others, even if it’s not great news to you. Take what they’re saying to heart and think about how you could improve their experience.

Take a deep breath and smile. Sometimes that’s all it takes for a client or an employee to feel heard and understood.

Make sure you’re accessible

Are you easy to reach? If customers feel that you’re inaccessible, they probably won’t feel comfortable giving you their business. Make sure your website includes contact information for potential clients, even if they first have to use a contact form that will be sent to your inbox.

Your customer service should be impeccable when you’re building your business. Make sure that when clients call your team, that they can talk to a real person who is going to listen to them and engage in a real discussion.

Focus on quality

Finally, while high-quality products are of course important at any stage for a business, in the beginning, showing that you’re putting out something of value is perhaps even more important than it ever will be.

Not only does quality have to come from a place of genuine motives, but it requires a lot of extra-hard work. Make a pact with employees in these early stages that you’ll put in everything you’ve got to earn a solid following.

Practice what you preach. Be kind. And never be afraid to admit a mistake, learn from it, and move on.

For more bits of wisdom from leading entrepreneurs and CEOs, visit our podcast or blog at Paper Napkin Wisdom. We’ve compiled thousands of tips and tricks from these insiders and are ready to share our journey toward success with you.