How do you build trust?
You and I and the rest of the world are in the same business – trust building.
A couple who get married builds a relationship of trust (hopefully) while dating. A manager must earn the trust of those she manages to successfully lead. Parents teach their babies to trust that their needs will be met.
Trust is the foundation of all relationships regardless of type, personal, professional or business. No trust, no relationship. Period.
Why is it then that as business people we often overlook the importance of building trust when we set out to market our products and services?
We focus on measuring the page rank, number of impressions, click-throughs, email registrations and followers that result from our efforts. But in the process we often forget that people don’t buy just because they know about or have heard of our brand or service. Instead they ultimately buy from who they know, like and trust. Regardless of what is being bought – a consulting service, cereal or a new cell phone.
A website, newsletter or radio commercial helps people know about the benefits and features of our product or service. But how do we move someone from know (awareness) to like and trust and who or what is responsible for it? Is it our sales people, reputation, product demonstrations, free consultations, or video on Youtube?
If we set out to create relationships of trust, do we approach our marketing strategy, plans and communications differently then if we just focus just on selling our products and services?
I think so. It is the essence of a brand.
What do you think?
The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Marketers
What does being successful at marketing your business mean to you? An optimized website with lots of traffic, a slick brochure or direct mail piece that generates sales leads?
Outcomes are important in marketing – increased sales, improved profitability, happy customers. But how do you get those outcomes? Wouldn’t it be nice if increased sales just magically appeared because our product or service is so wonderful?
Author Brian Tracey says that our habits create our future. Like everything else, to be successful in the marketing of our products and services, I believe we must practice certain habits. A fan of Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I recently enjoyed reading a series of posts on Dan Schawbel’s blog from guest blogger, Roger Parker, about the seven habits of the successfully published. This got me thinking about the critical skills and habits one must acquire and practice to be a highly successful marketer.
The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Marketers
1.) Highly Successful Marketers start and end with the customer in mind. They understand that they don’t sell a service; a customers buys it. They understand what keeps their customer up at night and how their product or service solves a problem. Most importantly, they understand that the customer experience is paramount so they incorporate activities and processes that ensure the product or service value aligns with the customer’s expectations.
2.) Highly Successful Marketers are in the know about what their competition is doing, the latest trends in their market, the profit margin on their service, where the growth is coming from in their business, etc.
3.) Highly Successful Marketers differentiate. They proactively stake a position in the market for their products and services. They know that they can’t compete with a “me-too” offer or a “me-too” message.
4.) Highly Successful Marketers focus. They know they can’t be all things to all people so they focus their limited resources on being relevant to their target audience or niche.
5.) Highly Successful Marketers have a plan and work their plan. Things happen and circumstance change so the plan evolves. But they have a plan that keeps them in front of their target audience.
6.) Highly Successful Marketers communicate. This is the part that is most easily understood because most people associate Marketing with Marketing Communications (i.e. websites, brochures, direct mail, social media, etc.). They know where to find their target audience and how to create an offer and deliver a message that is relevant and timely.
7.) Highly Successful Marketers measure. They know that marketing must deliver a return on investment and know that they get what they measure. They measure cost per sale, cost per lead, website traffic, conversions, close rates, customer satisfaction, number of impressions, etc.
Looking at this list, I know my customer orientation is strong but that I need to work on focus. Sometimes I get distracted by bright shiny objects. What about you?
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