If you're asking yourself, 'Why does trust matter — surely the most important thing is getting the job done?', then think
again!
Trust is a
crucial part of public relations as it fosters credibility — which is essential if you want the public and the media to be receptive to your messaging. Moreover, to build and sustain solid relationships with your clients and stakeholders, you
need to be trustworthy.
Here,
media update's Taylor Goodman gives three tips for building a PR team that people can trust.
Let's get into it:
1. Consistency is key
A surefire way to earn the trust of clients, stakeholders and the media is by delivering great work
consistently.
It is crucial that you meet your deadlines and communicate frequently with your clients. This will help you avoid any misunderstandings and assist you in meeting and
exceeding any expectations.
Ensuring that your team
delivers work timeously and
communicates effectively will help you make
major strides in fostering a culture of respect, trust and credibility. This will count towards you in the future and your reputation will precede you as a dependable team.
Of course, nobody is perfect — and there may be times where you miss a deadline. In moments like this you want to regain your client's trust, this means that your team should be open as to where things went wrong and ensure it will
never happen again.
Speaking of transparency …
2. Encourage transparency
If you want to earn the respect and loyalty of your clients, it is crucial that your team is
transparent and
honest with them from the word go.
Transparency is important in a PR context as it fosters relationships that are built on
trust. Be honest with your clients and the public regarding how you are progressing through your work or when a crisis arises. Because of this, they will constantly be in the loop regarding their brand and won’t have to run after you for updates.
Transparency, however, won't only benefit you with your clients but with the media and public as well. In fact,
94% of consumers are likely to be loyal to a brand that integrates transparency into their business processes.
You can encourage transparency in this regard by sharing behind-the-scenes posts on social media, for example, which shows a day in the life of a communications team.
Additionally, you should encourage your team to be honest about their shortcomings. This will prove to clients that they are willing to take responsibility for any slip-ups and mend their mistakes — ultimately helping to build trust.
3. Share client testimonials
Why
tell your clients that they can trust your team when you can
show them? Displaying customer / client testimonials on your website, on social media or simply sharing them with prospective clients will earn your team major points for credibility.
Why? Well, this feeds into the human tendency to be more receptive and to learn about a brand when other consumers are reviewing or recommending it.
As it is the brand's role to get you to buy, buy and buy some more, consumers are less trusting of this messaging.
With this in mind, ensure that you ask clients to review your services and give input as to how you can improve in the future. This will show that you're a team that respects your clients' opinions and are constantly looking to improve.
Sounds like a win-win to us.
PR pros, how do you win your clients' trust? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Vecteezy.