Report question

Note: your identity will not be shared with the person who sent you this message.
This field is required

Trust from customers

I started business of in land shipping But i couldn't get trust from customers or investors. How to convince others so that you can get business going

Sign in to answer

9 answers
  1. Do not promise what you cannot deliver

  2. Do not overextend your resources and get a reputation for poor performance.

  3. Do not tell the customer what he or she wants to hear. Tell them what they need to know. They will respect you for it.

  4. Network constantly on professional sites such as Linked In, Quora, Alignable and others. Use Groups and Q&A features to accumulate an "Expert" rating from peers in your field.

  5. Blog like there is no tomorrow. A blog is quite different than a web site. Provide good, solid information free of charge and use blog searches for synergistic businesses to team with. Teaming is an absolute necessity these days.

  6. Be prepared to provide information, samples and valuable service gratis as a marketing tool. Introduce yourself and then immediately engage the client with your presentation tools available to bring your expertise to whatever topic they are interested in. Let them take you where they want to go with their concerns and their needs. Apply your presentation tools and expertise dynamically on the fly in a sincere manner to those concerns and needs and you will be in demand for follow up business.

  7. Quote and bill what the client can afford and grow with them (in content and resources).

  8. Be dedicated to working yourself out of a job with a specific customer and having your client take over by training. They will remember you and recommend you to 10 others.

  9. Remember growth is a function of persistence and foresight. Know where your market is headed and get their first - then write and speak about your success indirectly by helping others. Demonstrate humility and a satisfaction in helping others succeed. They will find ways to give you credit. There are ways of tooting your horn without making peoples' lights go out.

  10. Word of mouth advertising from pleased clients is a sure ticket to success.

Report Kenneth's answer

Note: your identity will not be shared with the person who sent you this message.
This field is required

Hello, is your business registered? How often do you upload your offline and online media presence? What's your Brand management reputation? And many more that you need to tell me here, then we move.

Report Ibrahim's answer

Note: your identity will not be shared with the person who sent you this message.
This field is required

I would recommend on getting testimonials from people you have done businesses with before and share them with your potential new customers. I know when I am trying a new place I always try to look at their reviews.

Report shedline's answer

Note: your identity will not be shared with the person who sent you this message.
This field is required

Customer reviews and verbatim are some of the things I research when beginning a relationship with a company. Ask your customers to add their reviews to your website, to your facebook and to other company review sites such as Yelp, google etc. I am happy to add a review for companies that I have had a good experience.

Report Kelly's answer

Note: your identity will not be shared with the person who sent you this message.
This field is required

Be transparent! So keep your customers and investors in the loop! Outline your goals/objectives and share your progress! Remember that it's ok to fail, and if you do share with customers investors just that and how you plan to turn things around.

Report Roberto N's answer

Note: your identity will not be shared with the person who sent you this message.
This field is required

Start small. Offer you services first to the people who are already in your network, and then leverage that experience and to demonstrate your credibility.

Report Jabari's answer

Note: your identity will not be shared with the person who sent you this message.
This field is required

Work on your follow-up with investors who are interested and always follow-up with your customers. When you are authentic and caring, you will develop a following. Remember you need customer satisfaction. Make it a habit to spend at least one hour a week circling back with former customers. Everybody knows someone, and you can ask for personal recommendations for your business. If you made a mistake in the past, reach out and see what can be done to assist now.

Report Sherrill's answer

Note: your identity will not be shared with the person who sent you this message.
This field is required

There is an HBS professor by the name of Frances Frei who talks about trust and how to build and rebuild it. They mention 3 components of trust: Authencity, Empathy, and Logic. If any one of those is missing, trust is lost.

For more, there is a nice 15 min Ted Talk...check it out. :)

LRG

Report Larry's answer

Note: your identity will not be shared with the person who sent you this message.
This field is required

You mention that you couldn't get trust from customers or investors. I would begin by documenting what you know are the key trust factors that people have mentioned that they need. And interview more potential customers to get additional insight. For example, for the business you are trying to setup, some of the things that come to mind for me would be: 1. Is there a licensing requirement that would provide legitimacy to your business? Do you need special training certificates to look more professional? 2. Are your customers looking for a way to track their orders online or on a mobile device? Do you have a website? 3. Which competitors are customers typically using today? And why do they use them? 4. Is there a market gap? For example, are there rural routes which are underserved that would allow you to build up a small client base to use as referrals? Or is there an opportunity to align with a local business like a club/school etc where you could provide a more local personalized service than a larger shipper. 5. Read reviews of your competitors - pay attention to both customer complaints and good reviews. Try to see if your business can address common complaints that customers are expressing online. 6. Try to create a professional setup - have and online presence like FB or your own site and respond promptly to customer calls/inquiries. Have a uniform/truck with logo to advertise your business etc

For me, a key element of trust in a new business is that I see others using it, saying good things about it (particularly word of mouth from friends and relatives or local FB groups). Respond quickly and professionally to customer inquiries and feedback. If a customer leaves a negative comment, thank them for taking the time to contact you and promise you'll do better to earn their trust/business.

Report Stephen's answer

Note: your identity will not be shared with the person who sent you this message.
This field is required