A Crisis of Trust: Why You Are Skeptical of Online Businesses

“I’ve been burned before.” I’ve heard those four words more this year than in any other year I’ve been in business. Potential clients who fill out my intake form tell me about another “messaging coach” who didn’t deliver on their promises, or the person who they hired created messaging that was unusable in the client’s marketing, or they didn’t see how the message was ever going to bring in clients. In response to a survey I sent out to my email community, people talked about being burned by various service providers and programs–coaches, courses, etc–that promised everything and delivered nothing. When it happens to you, it sucks. And we need to talk about it. When you get burned, it violates your trust and makes it harder for all of us who are doing business the right way to earn our clients’ trust. So for all of November, we’re going to talk about the crisis of trust in the online business space. But first, let’s define terms. What is trust and how do you earn it from your clients? In this episode: How trust requires us to make what we value vulnerable to the actions of others Four factors that build trust How the mega launches and overblown promises of online businesses violate trust How to communicate the reliability and competence that are essential to real trust Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message Resources: The Thin Book of Trust: An Essential Primer for Building Trust at Work, Charles Feltman