Is there any waste of talent, intellect and a perfectly good life more egregious than staying in a job you hate? To dedicate your hard work and effort to inflating the profit margins of a company that never says “thank you?”
If you’re discontented with your job, there are a number of things you can do about it. But why trade in one corporate paymaster for another? Why not take the plunge and create a living for yourself as a freelancer or small business owner, taking your life, your career, and your finances to the next level on your own terms?
Yet, while starting your own business may seem like the perfect antidote to dissatisfaction in the corporate world, that’s not to say that it’s without its caveats. You’ll find that the business landscape is fiercely competitive, and in a world where consumers have been conditioned to trust big brands, they can be more fickle than ever. If you start out with plenty of leads, but few customers it may be because you have yet to build enough trust in your brand.
Here are some reasons why consumers may not trust your brand, and what you can do about it…
Your contact details scream “amateur”
It can be tricky to build a professional presence for yourself, especially if you’re building your business in your free time as a side hustle. Still, if your only means of contact are a Gmail address, a cell phone number, and a postal address, this can scream “amateur” and that may be a red flag for some consumers. Still, this is easily (and affordably) remedied. Invest in a postal address from physicaladdress.com and you can get a prestigious office address for less than $8 a month.
You have no social proof
Social proof is enormously important in gaining the trust of your target audience. No matter how well written your marketing copy, they’ll always take whatever businesses say about themselves with a grain of salt. When prospects can see lots of positive reviews on Google and people saying nice things about you on social media, this can go a long way towards building trust. So make sure you incentivize customers to leave positive reviews or post pictures of themselves enjoying your products in their social feeds.
They’re not convinced that you can meet their needs
If you’re targeting business customers, you’ll need to offer a different type of reassurance than your B2C counterparts. You’ll need to demonstrate that a small outfit like yours can demonstrate excellent value while also meeting their needs to ensure harmonious operations and cost-efficiency. So, before sitting down with a prospective B2B client, make sure you carry out as much homework on them, their operational structure and their organizational needs to ensure that you’re equipped to meet them.
You’ve not let them peek behind the curtain
Finally, consumers like to be able to see how the sausage is made. So letting them take a look behind the curtain at how your business is run (even if you don’t make sausages) in your social feeds and content marketing can go a long way towards building trust.
Show consumers that your operation is transparent, ethical, and sustainable.
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