Signup for our Newsletter!

Signup below to receive all of Biznet's tips and newsletters delivered right to your inbox!

Credibility Trumps Facts

Credibility Trumps Facts

We live in an age of mistrust, where facts can’t be agreed upon, where claims are disclaimed as quickly as someone can tap out a Tweet or post an unfavorable Facebook review.

In this environment, credibility is one of the most valuable and important assets a company or person can have. This is especially true for marketing and sales professionals, who stand at the leading edge of a company’s reputationunnamed

For them, building lasting relationships with clients means building trust and credibility that can keep clients for a lifetime.

When we talk about credibility in marketing, we are talking about how believable and trustworthy your marketing is perceived to be. It’s all about the work that you deliver and the impression others have about you and all that you represent. Without credibility, your work doesn’t mean much.

How to build and maintain credibility in marketing

Just because you say you’re the best at something doesn’t mean you are.

Credibility is proof. Credibility is tangible. Credibility is showing what you’re capable of and delivering on it to the best of your ability. Building credibility can be difficult; maintaining it is even harder. You want to provide your clients with consistent work that’s delivered on time, on budget, and is as amazing as you claim.

Marketers often find it difficult to say no to their customers. But, in some cases, telling the customer yes can be a recipe for disaster, especially when you know you won’t be able to deliver. A false promise can ruin your reputation and cost you the trust of your client. In a study done by Trust Barometer report and cited by Marketing Charts on Most Important Building Blocks of Consumer Trust, 55% of consumers say they would have more trust if a company takes responsible actions to address an issue.

Bottom line? Be honest, make promises you can keep, and – most of all — keep them. Do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it.

To summarize, the top 3 ways to build and maintain credibility as a marketer are to:

  • Show what you’re capable of
  • Make promises and deliver on them
  • Be consistent

How to maintain credibility while selling

The number one rule for maintaining credibility when selling is to avoid selling a solution that doesn’t benefit the customer. Every salesperson knows there are times when you just don’t have the right product or solution. But if what you’re selling doesn’t fit the customer’s needs, you need to let them know instead of suggesting something you know will not fully meet their expectations. If someone is willing to spend money, you don’t want to just come close to meeting his or her needs, you want to exceed.

The trust-building golden rule of selling is: give your customer the truth and let them decide if your proposed solution will work for them.

Lastly, going into each call with the same script is no longer working. It’s time to change how informed sales reps are about their prospects and their products. Did you know that only 13% of customers believe a sales person can understand their needs? Understanding your customer and who they are, what they do, and how your service or product can help them is a tremendous way to build credibility during the sales process, so be confident about the knowledge you possess.

Top 3 ways  to maintain credibility while selling:

  • Be authentic
  • Be informed
  • Be confident

How to maintain credibility in digital and email marketing

The key to success in any email marketing campaign is gaining trust. When sending out an email you need to make sure that there is enough relevant, captivating, personalized information. Making sure you have a quality mailing list takes some time, but it will come to be one of the most valuable assets to your business. It isn’t easy acquiring a list of people who actually look forward to hearing from you, so setting expectations and delivering content that meets them is extremely valuable.  Once you have all your subscribers, don’t make the mistake of over sending or sending unrequested content. It’s more important to build trust and a good reputation than to send all types of emails to a subscriber just because you have their address available.

Top 3 ways to maintain credibility in email marketing:

  • Personalize
  • Quality > quantity
  • Be relevant and captivating

Maintain a positive digital reputation

Maintaining a positive digital reputation is an ongoing process that is extremely important. What is out there about your brand today could completely change tomorrow, so continuing to manage online content is imperative to making sure you are perceived positively by current customers who are considering you for business.

Lastly, stay true to who you are…or what your brand is. Being clear about your values and brand personality within every piece of content you post online helps audiences to identify with, understand, and build a connection with your brand. Being inconsistent  could damage your reputation, as consumers will question your business and what it stands for, resulting in a lack of credibility.

Maintaining a positive digital reputation:

  • Keep content fresh
  • Be factual
  • Stay true to your brand

 Is your company credible?

At Biznet, we are experts at helping companies maintain credibility. We offer high quality services that will ensure a lasting reputation. Check out our digital marketing services page to see all we can do to help your business reach new digital marketing levels! Or give us a call at 248-560-9000.