Don't worry, I'm not questioning you -- just leading in to today's topic.
"Trust Me" Doesn't Cut It It's well known that trust is a critical factor not only in somebody's decision to buy, but also their loyalty and likelihood to speak positively about your
brand.
Building trust is hard, especially when you're trying to do it through impersonal channels like your website, whitepapers, and presentations.
But like it or not, our websites are often someone's first impression of us. Whitepapers and presentations are often the next.
So what do we do in these materials? We talk up our strengths. We go for the razzle-dazzle with professional-looking stock images. We try to present the best version of our brand, but when it comes time to back it up, often all we have to offer is effectively...
"Trust me."
But anybody can talk about how great they are. Anybody can purchase stock images of well-dressed professionals in a fancy-looking office.
"Trust me" doesn't cut it.In fact, it can
have the opposite effect.
So today we're going to look at some true, honest-to-goodness effective trust factors that you can use to help build trust early in your customer's journey.
Today's Mission
Open up your website, a recent whitepaper, presentation, or proposal.
Keep a running tally: Of the seven
items listed below, how many of these is your organization taking advantage of?
Awards. No matter how small, awards show potential buyers that your work has been good enough to be recognized for excellence by an independent third-party. Display them prominently and proudly.
Affiliations. Is your company a member of any associations? Do you work with any trusted organizations that are known within your market? The transitive property applies here: If your affiliate is trusted, a portion of that trust extends to your org as well.
Certifications. This is another case of an independent third-party recognizing your organization for excellence (or at least competence). If that certifying party is known and trusted by your audience, all the better.
Case Studies. If your leads had a crystal ball that showed they'd get their desired result by buying your product or service, almost all of them would jump at the chance. No crystal ball exists, but case studies are the next best thing. They're an opportunity to say "Here's someone just like you who had the same problems you do." And then: "Here's how we solved those problems, and the great ways that someone benefitted."
Testimonials. These offer another opportunity for an independent third-party -- someone effectively acting as a stand-in for your potential customer -- can support all those positive claims you're making. Score yourself a bonus point if you use any video
testimonials.
Guarantees. Stakeholders are risk-averse. Guarantees -- while not a fit for every brand or offer out there -- can be a simple and effective way to remove that perceived risk.
Authenticity. Yes, stock images are well lit and framed. But they're not your brand, and if anything they demonstrate that you're willing to obfuscate the truth to appear better. So use real images from around your office, even if they're not perfect. Share names, titles, and photos of your actual
team members, even if Jerry's hair looked terrible on picture day. People can't trust you if they don't know you.
Going for a perfect seven score can be overwhelming.
For now, just focus on the one of these items that your company isn't doing now that you think would be easiest to implement.
Once that's done, you can think about the others... but implementing any one of these can help improve your results and your customer's experience.
Trust me.
Actually, Don't Trust Me. Here are a handful of posts from other sites backing up my claims:
