Can your business be trusted

For many years I have been receiving a newsletter about marketing and other related topics. It started when the author and I spent some time discussing the 2003 World Rugby Cup being held at the time. Both our national sides put up dismal performances in this competition. Mine, South Africa, his New Zealand. So not exactly the underdogs of the competition.

A recent newsletter, sent out by Sean of PsychoTactics, discusses a hugely topical question.  You may read the article online. Worth it. It’s all about why Santa is so popular and why his marketing is so successful. In many ways Santa Claus is a typical case study on how to do things right in marketing. It’s about branding, consistency of message and delivery.

One of the points I want to pick up on is the concept of consistency. And an extension of that is trust. If the service is consistent then as consumer one can start trusting that the service is going to be of a certain quality. It can of course be a not so excellent quality as well. If you were to buy a Ford in South Africa in the 1950’s you could trust the fact that parts of the car would come off in your hand.

Of course it’s easier to sell a product or service if the consistency denotes a more positive consumer experience. So for instance your McDonald’s burger will taste the same no matter where in America you buy it. And it should take the same length of time to produce and the price should be the same. The golden arches are an excellent example of the trust factor.

In the same way a Levi pair of jeans should be of excellent quality, great style and be the same price whether you buy your jeans in New York, London or Johannesburg. With other words Levi produce jeans that are consistent in delivery allowing you to trust the label.

The same applies to the service industry. If the hotel chain consistently provides clean, friendly and reasonably priced accommodation your traveling family will book in again and again. The family could even travel to holiday destinations specifically so that they can pick up on the same deal.

When starting out your business venture determine how you can build a relationship with your customer that endorses that feeling of trust. Will your customers be able to trust you to provide a consistent service. Will they be able to expect the same delivery each time they make contact with you and your business?

It is the businesses that are able to build a relationship of trust with their customers that are able to grow. or at the least survive a recession. Because not only will your customers continue to give you their business but they will also refer you to their friends. Is it a sign of the times that I can only think of businesses that have consistently let me down?