A brand has to be more than a logo, or it will never resonate with a consumer. A brand must earn the trust from a customer by building a relationship with an audience. Brands can’t just advertise it or send a message with an email campaign. Trust happens slowly, over time; based on actions, not clever messages.
Together, a brand and their customer can create a bond that grows stronger as the brand consistently meets the customer’s needs. The evidence is powerful when there is proof that the brand means what it says. Trust, like interest, grows over time. Trust takes nurturing.
[Tweet “You can’t just seed a garden. Trust is the water and fertilizer that earns you the flowers. “]
TRUST is EARNED
The US in TRUST is more than wordplay. Trust is the ultimate objective for any brand that sets out to build deep relationships with their audience. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is legendary for always having an empty seat at meetings, to remind everyone to keep their customer in mind when making decisions.
Amazon encourages the consumer to make a purchase by demonstrating evidence that they will honor their promise. Trust encourages me to share a brand’s story with my friends because I have proof that the business will do what they say will do.
Trust also comes as we find a community that pulls us together and closer to people who are helping us achieve our desired outcomes. With every on-time delivery, low price, ease of shopping — my trust grows in Amazon’s brand.
The word “us” within the word trust is the ultimate gift that a consumer/customer gives back to a brand because it is a recognition of belonging. Do your customers feel connected to you and your company?
Amazon has built extraordinary trust from their customers as they repeatedly bring their customers front and center in their world. I can depend on my book or product to come to my front door. And, if I have any issue and need to make a return, back it goes without an argument or complex paperwork.
Volkswagen had my trust. It is lost and may never come back. What will it take to earn back my confidence that they aren’t cheating, lying or trying to trick me?
Since we learn to trust through personal and human interactions, you don’t trust a corporation. You trust your experiences engaging with their agents – their employees.
The genuine way a company wants to help you when you call customer service is a building block of trust. When I call Verizon and Sheila answers, Sheila becomes the voice and personification of Verizon. How much my trust grows or recedes, depends on how she engages with me.
When Verizon calls me and interrupts me to see if I’d like to review my plan, repeatedly – they aren’t earning my trust. They are annoying me. When I asked them to stop doing this, and they continue – because they have no institutional memory, I trust them even less.
Trust is Fleeting
When clients that I coach ask me how their brand can be trusted, I always ask them to think about someone they know they trust.
Would your friend email you twelve times in twenty-four hours? Would they sell your email address to someone they know? If they say they’ll help you move, do they honor their commitment? If they say, I’m there for you – are they?
Trust is earned by our friends as they demonstrate their loyalty by their actions. It isn’t any different for a brand.
Are you earning the trust of your customers in how you honor your promises? What evidence do you have that your customers trust you and feel part of your community? I’d love to hear your stories of how your brand keeps earning trust with your customers in the comment section.
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Need coaching on your marketing? I would like to earn your trust. Contact me.
