After writing a post on how Credibility Houses ROI, a reader requested that I talk about gaining credibility as a start-up business. Sometimes it is tougher for some start-ups to gain credibility, but if the person behind the start-up is well known, it isn't too difficult, if they have a good reputation. However, known or unknown, an entrepreneur who starts a new business, always has to build individual credibility for each of their ventures because more often than not, no customer or user knows nor cares who owns a company.
1) Don't be foolish- As simple as it sounds, a lot of companies mess up during their early phases. Whether it is providing bad customer service or doing something that upsets users or customers in another way, you have to make sure that everyone is always satisfied with what your company is doing.
2) Stay trustworthy- What is a good company? A company that users or customers can rely on and trust. Building trust obviously comes over a period of time, but your start-up has to be trustworthy from the beginning. Any wrong actions can especially get a lot of media attention when your company starts to grow, which can cause people to question your company, even though it was an issue of the past. If you advertise that you have the lowest price in town, make sure you maintain the lowest price in town, otherwise people will view your new company as a bunch of lies.
3) Get consumers talking- If your company is providing lousy products or is a bad company in the consumers eyes, people will talk naturally. But if you are providing good products, try to get testimonials from people and get the consumers stating their thoughts so you can show your future customers how people view your company.
4) Try to hire a credible staff- For example, if you are starting a consulting firm, try to employ a staff that is known to the public and has some credibility of their own. If people know that your company employs trustworthy and credible people, they will view your company the same way.
5) Be transparent- Tell people what is up. Don't mislead people even if you're not lying. Short term gains can turn into long term pains. More people will instill their trust in your company if you tell them things straight up instead of taking them down a curvy path.
6) Stand behind your work- The one thing all consumers look for is a company that can stand behind their work. If you are providing a service or product and your company messes up, you should stand behind and fix your problems. You shouldn't drag the customers through a long battle and either reject or fix their issues, but by doing it quickly and making it simple, people will definitely look back at your company the next time they want to make a purchase.
7) Don't irritate people- Something every person hates is when a company is irritating them. Whether a company is wrongfully billing them, trying to sell them more than they need or whatever else it may be, you can't irritate people. It doesn't hurt to up-sell your products, but don't go to the point where people are annoyed.
8) Communicate- The key to helping people out is to communicate. If you run away from your customers questions or concerns, they will think that you have something to hide, which is why you are ignoring them. If you can face your customers and answer 100% of their questions and concerns, people will find your company more credible.
Everything comes down to the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE you can provide. From the moment a customer steps in your front door or visits your website, you have to provide the BEST user experience ever. You have to maintain that experience at the same level forever. Keeping people happy from the start is the only way to create a bigger and better company.
