5 strategies to gain your customers' trust

1. Demonstrate competence

People trust those who are competent. Provided that others are of the same opinion: press reports from respected media, certificates from test institutes and reviews from other customers prove whether a company is competent or not. Reason enough to invest in public relations, product tests and review marketing. Our tip: Position yourself as an expert on your company blog and with guest contributions. Freelancers and small businesses are the main beneficiaries of this approach.

2. Display transparency

Customers want to know who they are doing business with. Whether it's a corporate blog or a social media profile: Those who seek proximity to the target group are the winners. Show the world who you are: What is your vision? What do you do for others? And who will help you fulfill this mission? A look into other departments, or into your everyday work as a freelancer, strengthens the trust of your customers.

3. Communicate comprehensibly

There is no transparency without communication. Without transparency, there is no trust. The rule: communicate in a way that customers will understand. Who signs a contract in a language they don't speak themselves? Meaning: translate technical jargon, eliminate the abstract, shorten the long-drawn-out. And that applies to texts in online shops as well as to customer service e-mails. Guidelines from the world of journalism help:

One statement per sentence. This improves the flow of reading.

Explain loanwords or replace them with familiar ones.

Write objectively: Avoid using adjectives like "beautiful, practical or innovative". After all, whether something is beautiful, practical or innovative is a matter of taste.

4. Focus on integrity

Trust is only gained by those who keep their promises in the long term. Honesty, transparency and comprehensible communication are only beneficial if they last. In order to win new customers as regular customers, freelancers and entrepreneurs must be reliable and embody their values. A strategy that is not consistent, changing products or poor working conditions damage integrity.

5. Signal goodwill

The maxim? Do good and gain trust! Be it through short waiting times in the hotline, cost-free repairs or a regular newsletter with voucher codes: Those who accommodate their customers with additional services bind them to the company in the long term. The goal: to be unique. If you give your customers something they cannot get anywhere else, you are always one step ahead of the competition.