Building Trust in Business: 5 Ways To Cultivate Strong Relationships and Grow Business

What is the key element of a healthy, long-lasting relationship? 

TRUST.

And when it comes to business relationships, establishing, cultivating, and maintaining trust in business is imperative for success. 

You have “best friends” who have stood the test of time and earned your trust and respect. You often choose to spend time with them over other acquaintances, and they are part of your inner circle at birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions in life. You’ve gone through ups and downs, but always worked things out and become closer than ever in spite of—and maybe even BECAUSE of—those difficult or cray-cray moments.

If building up your company to “best friend” status with your customers and clients is the driving motivation behind every step you take in business, you’ll reap the benefits of loyal customers who not only stick around through the ups and downs, but become enthusiastic brand evangelists. 

It’s easy enough to get lost in numbers, metrics, data, and sales. But a simple shift in mindset to prioritize building trust in business can make all the difference between striving for business and thriving in business.

5 Ways to Cultivate Trust in Business

1. Tell the Truth and Be Transparent.

If your customers feel like they’re stuck playing a frustrating game of hide-and-seek every time they interact with you, something’s not right. If you want to build trust in business, you start by being upfront, open, honest, and transparent, offering information before your client feels the need to seek you out, chase you down, and beg for answers.

This manifests in different ways, but can include:

• Releasing “behind the scenes” company information to the public, showing how your company lives out its core values through product manufacturing or service development

• Making sure you can follow through with statements made in marketing/sales copy

• Being upfront about pricing and product details

• Addressing significant issues publicly and making things right

• Highlighting your employees and company culture on social media 

When building trust in business, prepare yourself to play the long game. Establishing and cultivating real relationships takes time and continual involvement. 

2. Communicate Consistently and Openly. 

Any good relationship foundation is laid with healthy communication habits, and it’s the same when you’re building trust in business. The tone, timeliness, and manner of shared interactions with clients and customers can either open wide the doors of opportunity…or shut them in your face.

Above all, communicating respectfully through all interactions, no matter how frustrating, is key. Take a chill pill and breathe before responding to that provoking email. Let’s all learn from the (not so great) example of many high-profile names, and don’t send out that Tweet. Just…don’t. Trust us. You’ll thank us for it later. 

There are so many other ways to communicate that provide just as much satisfaction as a late-night Twitter rant, minus the morning-after guilt and self-loathing.

• Respond quickly to questions, feedback, and concerns.

• Stay active on your social media platforms. And we’re not just talking about posting—engage with your customers and other companies directly. 

• Follow-up and check-in with reluctant or “dead” leads.

• Create valuable content, whether that’s case studies, blogs, videos, newsletters, etc.

• Explain the “why” behind specific changes or company decisions to your network and client base.

• Communication isn’t all about talking. Make sure to really, genuinely LISTEN. 

3. Operate With Integrity. 

It should come as no surprise that a company that operates with integrity will have significant success with building trust in business. Whether those actions are displayed for all to see or done quietly behind the scenes, the positive culture will show itself and influence everyone around you—employees, clients, and customers alike.

The way employees are treated and how the office operates is ground zero for creating a company that stands strong and magnetically draws others in. Your team members should be your greatest brand ambassadors…and if they’re not, you may need to start asking some tough questions. There’s no way you can accomplish your plans for cultivating trust in business if there’s disunity, distrust, and toxicity at home base.

Be involved with your team members and treat them like people! They are the heart of your company and responsible for pumping the lifeblood of your business into the world. In an article titled “How Employee Satisfaction Affects Customer Satisfaction”, Ashira Prossack of Forbes stated:

 “There’s a direct link between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Happy employees equal happy customers. Unhappy employees lead to unhappy customers. It’s not quite as simple as that, but as a generalization it’s not too far off.

Employees are the driving factor behind customer satisfaction. Employee interactions set the tone for a positive or negative customer experience.” 

Your company can operate with integrity in many ways, including:

• Being on time for meetings 

• Following through with promises made

• Being generous with time, energy, and money

• Promptly resolving issues and tensions in the workplace

• Honoring state laws and regulations

• Going out of your way to show care for your clients and customers

4. Be Humble and Admit Your Mistakes.

Owning up to a mistake or just saying “I’m sorry” can be a hard pill to swallow. But it’s remarkable what a little humility can do when building trust in business. 

We often believe that admitting to a fault, flaw, or mistake shows weakness, and we will lose credibility, respect, and business. The reality is almost always the opposite. Yes, there may be consequences of the mistake made depending on the severity of the situation. But building relationships requires honesty, even (and perhaps especially) in embarrassing and difficult times. 

The vast majority of humanity (the ones you want to be building business relationships with, at least) respond to humility with grace, not condemnation. People resonate with vulnerability, not posturing and bravado. 

This shows itself clearly in the customer service experience you provide. For many customers, it’s not so much about the problem itself—it’s about how a company handles the problem. The care and service a customer receives during an issue can actually create a positive experience, build customer loyalty, and increase brand trust.

So don’t be afraid to say “I was wrong,” make a public apology, or send that refund. Arrogance repels. Humility and honesty attracts. 

5. Highlight and Celebrate Relationships

As humans, we have a tendency to be skeptical of individuals who have no close friendships or other healthy relationships. While that may be the result of a hard life or tragic circumstances, other times it is because that individual engages in toxic behavior and cannot maintain long-lasting, meaningful relationships. We often find ourselves gravitating toward and feeling more comfortable around people who have a friend group and share strong, healthy relationships.

So if you want to draw others into the business equivalent of your “BFF” group, highlight and celebrate the relationships you currently enjoy! Trust in business is grown as others see you and your employees, clients, and customers in happy, mutually beneficial relationships. 

• Be active on social media and celebrate others’ achievements.

• Get involved in a charity event as a sponsor and/or participant.

• Team up with another company for a giveaway.

• Host a guest speaker/author on your next video or blog.

• Highlight an exceptional employee in the workplace and on social platforms.

How Does Squeeze Help You Increase Trust in Business?

Squeeze starts at ground zero by making life SO much easier for your sales and marketing teams. By bridging the gap between marketing and sales and taking on all that extra “busy work” that bogs them down, you increase workplace satisfaction and efficiency. 

Remember:

“There’s a direct link between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Happy employees equal happy customers.”

Start by optimizing your processes at home base and watch your company as it transforms from the inside out. 

Want to learn more about how we get this done? Check out our article over at chiefexectutive.net. Then contact us today so we can start creating your own customized plan for success!