5 Ways New Businesses Can Prove Credibility With Clients
Saturday, I jumped into the car to run to the grocery store and the air conditioner wasn’t working. The vents in the back worked, but not the front vents.
August + southern state means air conditioning is a must.
So, I did what 93 percent of consumers do and reached out to family and friends for their advice on a good auto air company.
I was looking for an established business with a solid reputation. And this brings up a great point: What can new businesses do to establish credibility with customers?
Whether you just launched your business or have been operating for years, credibility is key to converting visitors to customers. It can be difficult for a new business to prove credibility, but there are a few proven tactics that will help.
1. Publish Your Expertise – Highlight Past Experience and Success Stories
While you may not have years of experience in your current position, you can still demonstrate your expertise using achievements from throughout your career. Pull from your past experiences to demonstrate your industry expertise. Share about your expertise using mini case studies, white papers, OP Ed articles, a business blog, or guest blogs, and prominently feature these marketing tactics on your website and business digital channels.
2. Share Your Knowledge – Host Complimentary Trainings or Webinars
Talk to your audience to learn where they need the most help. What are common pain points for your audience? Once you’ve identified what troubles them the most, create complimentary trainings or webinars that address solutions for these common problems. Using inbound marketing tactics like these is a great way to demonstrate your industry expertise and quickly build a rapport with your target audience.
3. Continue Your Education – Obtain Relevant Professional Credentials
If your industry offers accreditation or special credentials to professionals, consider pursuing these opportunities. Professional credentials help demonstrate a commitment to the industry and your career, and require ongoing education and often a test. Most credentialing institutions offer a badge or other form of marketing that can be prominently displayed on your website and business digital channels.
4. Grow Your Network – Join Reputable Associations and Organizations
Building a strong network can shave years off your sales efforts. One of the fastest ways to grow a network of like-minded industry professionals is by joining reputable associations that target your industry. Memberships like these help to quickly establish credibility for new brands.
5. Align With Industry Experts – Put Your Name Next To Industry Leaders
Renowned Leadership Authority John Maxwell did this with the help of Chick-Fil-A founder Dan Cathy. Seek out opportunities that place you next to experts within your industry. Begin by creating a top ten list of influencers and turn to LinkedIn and Twitter to establish a connection with your targets. Consider guest blogging on established industry blogs that also target your target audience. Get to know the influencers and try to identify ways you can help them. Remember, helping others is the fastest way to grow your business!
Do you have the experience but no time to share about it? Our team can help create dynamic content that showcases all your strengths.
Now it’s your turn, what ideas have worked for you for establishing credibility?
Word Ninja jolynndeal You are so right! I recently gained a client solely because a key contact referred me. It is incredibly powerful.
jolynndeal That does sound like a helpful exercise. Focused networking works well when time is limited (and whose isn’t?) for blogging, tweeting, attending conferences, etc. It’s also amazing how much weight a referral carries. I had someone say that if I was being recommended by X person, that was all they needed to know.
Word Ninja Asking for referrals is so important, Amanda. That’s a great addition. Jackie used to host a lead group and she asked that each of us describe an ideal client. It helped other members think of specific contacts. For example, one person worked with nonprofits so her best client was executive directors or board members of nonprofits. We even added years in business, number of employees, annual revenue. It was a great exercise. :)
Tips 1 and 2 have proven so true for me as a freelance writer. And YES! on growing your network. On a smaller scale, I’ve simply asked current clients to recommend me to someone else in their organization or industry. That has been the most fruitful effort, especially considering the investment in time, in growing my clientele. Thanks for a great post!