The Savvy Entrepreneur

Don’t feel like reading this post? Listen to it here.

Today’s marketing tip is all about gaining customer confidence. What is THE most important element in marketing your service-based business? Your customers, of course! Think about it: How can you have a business without customers?

Why, though, should you spend precious marketing hours gaining the confidence of someone who hasn’t hired you yet? It’s true that, as you build a relationship with a paying client, your reliance on each other will grow. But the foundation of trust must already exist BEFORE they decide to hire you.

Remember: The most important element in your marketing is your customers. Those of you who know me, have heard me emphasize the importance of building the know-like-trust factor in you and your services. If potential clients DON’T know-like-trust you or your service, you WON’T get clients and you WON’T succeed in your business. When marketing, always keep them in mind.

You need to answer these questions correctly:

• What do my clients really want?
• What’s most important to them?
• How can my services address their individual and unique needs?

Here are 3 ways to help prospective clients have trust and confidence in you:

1. Highlight your successes. If you’re new in business, this could be challenging, but don’t let that discourage you. Here are 2 suggestions you can use to highlight your successes, even if you’re just starting off.
   • In anything and everything you do where you get positive feedback — whether you got paid for it or not — ASK for a written testimonial. A testimonial is tangible proof that you’ve helped someone real in your field, it’s not just theory or hearsay.
   • Use your blog and newsletters to tell a story; describe the typical client experience. Descriptively tell your audience what sets YOU apart from all the others.
2. Be image conscious. You never know who’s watching, so be acutely aware of how you present yourself in every situation. It’s entirely up to you to project a sincere, positive image of professionalism, expertise, masterful proficiency, reliability, customer satisfaction, responsibility or other values you hold dear. If you’re not sure what message you’re sending, ask someone you trust to give you honest, constructive feedback.
3. Clearly communicate the advantages of doing business with you. Give them solid, tangible reasons to do business with you. Let them experience what it’s like working with you — no strings attached. Do this by offering an introductory session, by regularly following up, by sending referrals, by offering solutions, ideas and resources. (A note about follow up: Don’t settle with sending emails every once in a while; pick up the phone and call them — let them hear your voice, your enthusiasm and your sincerity.) Be proactive in any ways you can think of. Another means of communicating your advantages is by productizing — or packaging — your services. Let’s face it, services are a hard sell. You’re asking your clients to pay for something where they’ll only know the end-result of AFTER it’s been done. By productizing your services, the benefits are more easily perceived, they become more tangible and your clients will know EXACTLY what they’re getting and for how long they’re committed to.

These are just 3 ways I could think of to increase your clients’ trust in you and your services, but I’m sure you can come up with more. Remember, if your marketing fails to inspire confidence, and doesn’t help establish yourself as a trustworthy, credible service provider, they’ll be hesitant to commit, and be more inclined to check out your competition.

What do you think? What’s worked for you? What hasn’t? What mistakes should entrepreneurs avoid? Are you facing challenges in the confidence-building area of your business?