There are millions of businesses across the world, each one having their own unique marketing strategies, slogans and way of conducting business. We have all seen the TV ads that say, “Most trusted insurance agency, car dealership, law office” you name it. But what really makes a business trustworthy? Sure, anyone can say they are the most trustworthy company in their industry, or the most trusted organization since (Fill in the year). I mean hey, I could go on social media right now and say that I am the absolute 100% most trusted blog post writer in the world, guaranteed!
But how do we know if this company is ACTUALLY Trustworthy? How do we know they conduct themselves in a way that is ethical and accountable? Well Hi, my name is Andrew and I am the absolute 100% most trusted blog post writer in the world, guaranteed! See what I did there?
All joking aside, there are some very easy to spot and reliable signs that a business is trustworthy, so today we are going to dive into 4 of those signs.
#4. Personability
Personability might seem like it doesn’t belong on this list, how does it show that a business is trustworthy? Well, it shows they want to know YOU and not just sell you a product. Sure, there are some salesmen and businessmen out there who will be all “Buddy Buddy” with you to try and sell a product, but that is not true personability, that is a marketing stunt to get you comfortable and let your guard down. Real personability relies on genuine care and honest communication with the customer. They want to know you a little bit, understand how to help you, talk to you about things and help you feel comfortable around the company. Things like: understanding your needs and not just pushing sales, following up with you post purchase, joking with you, being appropriately candid about their personal lives, and being upfront and honest about the product you need and not the product that will make the company the most money, are all signs of genuine personability, and thus an important cog in the machine of a trustworthy business.
#3. Transparency
Transparency is not just regarding pricing. Transparency covers a plethora of other topics as well. A trustworthy business will be transparent about everything from their prices to their policies. They won’t hit you with a bunch of hidden fees they didn’t tell you about initially, if you ask them how the project, or product is coming along, they should be able to answer honestly and give you an update on the progress; whether that progress is going well, or not so well. You should be able to openly communicate with them your suggestions, and concerns, and they should be honest about how they are handling and addressing these things.
#2. Accountability
Accountability is the backbone to trust; this is an integral piece in the overall scheme of a good and trusted business. If a mistake is made, or you as the customer is not satisfied, then they will be accountable to all the decisions they made. The buck stops with them regarding the decisions they made and can control. They will be accountable to your initial request of them as well, when they say they will get something done, it gets done. And when they drop the ball, they are more than willing to admit it and to do what they can to help mend the situation.
#1. Honesty
The number one thing a company needs to be trustworthy is honesty. If a business is not honest about themselves and their products, then there is nothing trustworthy about them. Honesty guides every level of trust in our lives, and this also applies to the businesses we are working with. An honest business won’t inflate numbers, lie about products, continually push additional sales, dishonestly bill you for things you did not purchase, things along those lines. They will be as up front as possible about what they are doing. Trust begins with honesty; you cannot have one without the other.
Finding and working with a trustworthy business is worth the effort. These four signs are not the only four things to look for when you are conducting research on a business, but they are four major things to spot before you make the choice to work with a business.
We created a small infographic below to summarize, feel free to use it if you’d like!
