5P’s to build customer trust

In a world of fake news and celebrity endorsement, customers are seeking one simple thing – trust.

Whether customers are purchasing, renting, working, learning, playing, shopping or reflecting in a space, curating their positive experience is a key component for business success, and here’s how;

Curate the customer experience

Among the digital revolution, it’s easy for businesses to get caught up in the next big thing. ‘I need an app for this’ or ‘we should be using this platform’ are phrases we hear all too often at Conductor, but you have to ask yourself the question ‘is it right for my customer?’ The customer experience (CX) should lead your decision-making, it helps to ensure you provide your clients with the best solutions to enable superb customer service. As David Rusenko, founder of Weebly puts it “you’re never too small to think about customer experience”.

Don’t underestimate the importance of consumer endorsement

This point becomes all the more relevant when considered alongside the results of SurveyMonkey’s recent analysis into consumer trust which states that 82% of customers trust other customers over the brand itself.

Consider how many times you will Google a brand, product or person before making your decision to purchase from them. The old rule ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity’ doesn’t apply to customer ratings.

The value of endorsement from your customers is therefore vital and it won’t come from your product alone.

Customer experience needs to cover all touchpoints, your customers need to have a consistently ‘good’ experience throughout every interaction with your brand and at every stage of the customer journey, from posts on social media through to visits to a physical space.

Power is now in the hands of the consumer, and with multiple on and offline platforms and channels garnering feedback every day – businesses need to try harder than ever to combat negative experiences and feedback.

The human touch

With bots and platforms serving every one of life’s requirements, there was much talk in Lisbon around the need to introduce the ‘human touch’ far sooner than many companies think. While ‘automating the tedious’ is beneficial to the business, having a helping hand from a human is crucial. At the end of the day, we all want to go away feeling like the brands we interact with care about us.

The days are numbered for brands relying solely on consumers staying loyal due to their visual identity. Brand loyalty stems from the experience customers receive, not on the celebrity featured in the ad campaign.

Don’t rely solely on customer archetypes

A human-centric approach is what’s required for building both trust and brand equity, but the reality is there is no longer such a thing as an ‘archetypical customer’. Customer needs vary depending on time and context. And with today’s technologies, businesses now can see and act on these fluctuations in the moment. Customers are increasingly expecting all companies to do just that, both in their marketing efforts and in the experiences they offer.

How to build trust

To become a human-led business, companies should expand their thinking to include the following:

1. Purpose: Customers should feel that the company shares and advances their values.
2. Pride: Customers should feel proud and inspired to use the company’s products and services.
3. Partnership: Customers should feel the company relates to and works well with them.
4. Protection: Customers should feel secure when doing business with the company.
5. Personalisation: Customers should feel their experiences with the company are continuously tailored to their wants, needs, and priorities.

These five characteristics form a simple and comprehensive test of relevance. The first four extend from the top to the bottom of the psychological hierarchy — from what Maslow called “self-actualisation” or fulfilling your full potential. The fifth, personalisation, enables companies to connect with customers around any of these needs.

Knowing your customers is crucial to achieving this. – know your customer and provide them with an amazing experience and the rewards will follow.

Written by Charlotte Constance – Founder, Conductor