In an Instant, Trust is Won or Lost
More fickle than a Gemini, trust is the unknown, illusive component that can create a customer for you for life or lose a customer in a single action. Trust is also the least understood aspect of a retail relationship. Without trust, the sales relationship is friction-filled and volatile, and although you may still ring a sale, the long-term customer relationship is unlikely. So how do we win or lose trust? Let’s delve into the ins and outs of trust, starting by stating the obvious….
Authenticity is the Gatekeeper of Trust!
Authenticity is the number-one buzzword in the music business today, and there is a reason. Authenticity is immutable – that’s why it is so important. You never lose with authenticity as a core principle, and it can’t be a core principal in business unless it’s a core principle in your life. That’s the beautiful Catch-22, regarding authenticity – it can’t be faked. Your interactions with customers must be based in truth; there simply can’t be any hidden agendas. Sounds simple enough, right? Let me give you an example where retailers drop the ball regarding trust.
Spam is Top on My List
Let’s say you intend to buy a product as a gift for someone. However, because of recent events and restrictions, you choose to call the local retailer first to make sure it is in stock. You interact with a salesperson who lets you know the product is, in fact, in stock, but it will need to be shipped from their local warehouse because they don’t have it “on the floor.”
Well-trained to be super friendly, the salesperson asks if you, the potential buyer, understand all the options. In fact, he is so nice on the phone that you want to invite him to dinner, as this salesperson seems genuinely invested in the quality of your experience. Now, because the product needs to be shipped, the salesperson asks for all your information, including your email, and he reiterates he understands this transaction is time-sensitive because it is a gift, and off we go. Now, fast forward a few days – the email blasts arrive like a round from a 9 mm gun, one right after the other.
The first email announces the product has shipped. The second email proclaims the product has been delivered. The next email expresses the hope that you are satisfied with the product and enjoyed the interaction with the staff. The final email contains the survey. Eventually after a while, spam continues to pick up the pace, and as many of us do, we unsubscribe.
If the salesperson had been truly authentic, knowing that this transaction was a gift, he would have not sent a personal email inquiring about my experience with the product. This is the same person who put the gift receipt in the box, so the recipient could exchange it.
Let’s review that transaction. Why would the company lose that customer?
As the buyer, it’s not that we don’t want to hear from the company. Hearing from a company is satisfying. It can make you feel special. When a company tracks data through A.I. (artificial Intelligence) though, and only fills in fields on a template, then the outreach is more disingenuous. The first few follow-up emails are informative, but then the buyer is bombarded with spam.
We all know that’s the reason spam doesn’t work. It causes the customer to feel disrespected when he becomes a number instead of a customer. All true personal interaction goes by the wayside. That’s why email platforms created the junk mail folder in the first place. It is true that most people don’t normally expect that kind of behavior from a small business; but when it does occur, the cost of that approach can result in a loss of trust.
How do we Stay in Contact, Remain Connected, and not Lose Trust?
My first suggestion is to think as the customer thinks. To communicate is fine, but to spam is unproductive, and the reason is that you lose the customer’s respect. A big box might be able to afford that, but a smaller business is more vulnerable. The thought here is that it is not a crime to send select emails, but now more than ever you should not send that begrudged spam.
Most everyone is aware that the new fad is “spam texting,” but just like robo-calls, this makes the customer resentful. Feel free to send an informational text message, but now more than ever, avoid the unnecessary ones. Junk is out in any format in 2021.
We Must Never Forget: Trust is the Foundation on Which Business is Built
Because 2020 was the year it was, most customers are reverting to traditional values. This doesn’t mean they will abandon new or current methods of outreach, or communications. It means they are less tolerant of invasions on their privacy. And because of the virtual workplace necessity, they are “screened out.” More than ever the customer wants respect, and the trend that I’m witnessing is that the customer is once again willing to give respect – but only if they can trust they get it in return.
And you can trust me on that!
Menzie Pittman is the owner and director of education at Contemporary Music Center in Virginia (CMC). Following a performance and teaching career spanning more than 32 years, he founded CMC in 1989 and continues to perform, teach, and oversee daily operations. He has 50 years of musical experience as a drummer and drum instructor. Menzie is a frequent speaker at NAMM’s Idea Center, and a freelance writer for MMR’s “Small Business Matters”.
