If you’ve been in business for a while, or you’ve worked as a salesperson or a marketing agent, you would know the importance of building trust and the value of communication.  Building trust with customers is one of the most difficult tasks of a business person, and yet the most important of all.

A customer may not trust a business at first so it is your job to develop this trust, and with the right attitude and strategic communication skills, you’re already halfway there.

How do you convince customers that you’re a trustworthy business person? Below are a few tips.

Think of them as the most important person in your life

If someone important to you or someone you love sends you a message, you probably respond fast. You should deal with customer emails the same way. If you receive a request that you don’t have an immediate answer to, just reply with a simple note that you’re looking into the concerns and that you’ll be back with a complete response in a short while.

Replying quickly to customer emails lets them know that they are in fact important to you and that they’re a priority.

Never over promise and under deliver

If you tell you’re a customer that you’re going to do something, make sure that you deliver on your promise. For instance, if you say that you’ll be back with a complete response in a short while, don’t wait days to get back to your customer. If you say you’ll deliver something in 5 days, make it a point to schedule delivery a day early if possible.

Under delivery, or worse, non-delivery is the single most confidence destroying act that customers dislike the most. So, if you deliver as promised every time, then customers know they can relax and trust you to get things done.

Present yourself as a person, not a business

Have you ever called a business and wished that a person would answer the line and not a machine? What would happen if one day a person actually did?  It would save you time and increase your loyalty to that company.

Customers love dealing with friendly people rather than mechanically being treated as just another order number, so make sure to make your business personable.

Always engage your customers in a professional but friendly tone

No two customers are exactly the same. They may have similarities but there will always be differences in personalities and needs. If you engage customers honestly, with a helpful attitude and in a professional yet friendly tone, then you are more likely to retain them and to grow your business.

A coach can help your business to develop the best approach and tone for communicating with your particular customers.