Learning to build trusting relationships with your existing customers is one of the proven methods of boosting your online business. In my article “3 Ways To Grow Your Online Business”, I mentioned that the cheapest and quickest way to boost your online business is by focusing on your existing customers. In another article entitled “Do You Have an Online Customer Support System to Retain Those Who Keep You in Business?” I emphasized the importance of putting in place a good online customer support system to retain those who keep you in business.
Through this article, I would like to share with you the importance of building trust in your existing customers and tips on what builds trust in your relationships with your customers.
One thing you need to know is that trust protects you in everything you do. To survive the competition in your online business, you need to position yourself as a trusted person. You can only build a trusting relationship with your customers when they feel connected and confident that you are the answer to their needs, interests, feelings and opinions. To build trust in them, you need to identify yourself with them as the best person to solve their problems and this takes time. Trust is built through experiences and overtime.
To build trusting relationships with your customers, you need to maintain a high level of quality service and to deliver what you promise them to do. You need to believe in your words and promises Aim at satisfying them. Once they get satisfied, it becomes easier for them to trust you. You will enjoy the benefit of increasing your believability, the benefit of retaining them and getting new referrals. When they trust you, they go by your advices, suggestions, and decisions. Even when you increase the prices of your products, they may not question you. Do you see how it works?
If you want to build trusting relationships with your customers virtual roundtables, always believe in your words and your promises. I repeat, believe in your words and your promises! Let what you promise, through your marketing campaigns, be reflected in your actions. By so doing, you will strike deeper into their hearts as a very trusted person, with whom they can deal without any worry.
Building trusting relationships in your customers requires you to be creative. Come up with new ways of maintaining your standards. You do not have to think so big because even small things can make a very big difference in your customers’ lives. Make sure that whatever initiative you come up with, builds positive perceptions in the minds of your customers.
What do you have to do to build trusting relationships with your customers?
1. Give free ideas and free advice.
Sometimes it’s even necessary to give free service and free products. This is an important aspect in any kind of business you are involved in. I always receive visitors on my websites, who in their comments wonder how on earth I can give free information on my websites. Probably, they are yet to learn that giving free ideas and advice through my articles, helps to build trusting relationships with my customers.
2. Be honest.
To build long lasting relationships with your customers, you MUST be honest. Remember that you can never succeed in any business if you are not honest. Always be honest!
Commit yourself to deliver what you promise. Believe in your words and in your promises. Promising to do something to your customers and you don’t deliver, is one of the fastest way of losing trust. If for any reason you are unable to live to your promises, it’s important to let them know early enough. Maintaining the standard of service that you promise to your customers is one of the key ingredients in building trusting relationships with them.
3. Listen to what your customers say and even ask them what their expectations, feelings and opinions are.
This will help you to improve your service delivery. On various occasions, I have received advice and suggestions from my website visitors, through their comments, which has helped me to improve and to relate with them well. Remember that trust is built through interacting with your customers closely. Ask them questions and listen to them to build long lasting and trusting relationships with them.