Images of flying shrapnel and exploding flames haunt the minds of those familiar with the Ford Pinto.
This tragic public hazard in the 1970s sparked one of the most famous examples of the dangers of cutting corners.
This resulted in the largest punitive damage of its kind, costing Ford Motor Co. nearly $130 million.
If there’s one thing we can learn from this explosive PR fiasco, it’s that value and volatility don’t mix.
Fortunately, such scenarios are the exception to the rule because the more important the matter or thing is, the more carefully it should be handled.
Investments are one important area of life that requires caution, which is why advertisers only entrust their marketing money to those who have earned their trust.
Nurturing this trust should be the highest goal of every paid media professional.
Although client confidence is essential in any role, the repetitive nature of our profession makes it even more important.
This article will explain why customer trust in paid media is so important and give tips on boosting it.
5 Big Reasons Customer Trust Matters
1. You will be more fulfilled in your career
One of the most humbling aspects of running a digital marketing agency is the number of long standing partners we have.
The most rewarding aspect of this loyalty is the assurance that our customers are satisfied.
Show me a happy patron, and I’ll show you a client who met their expectations.
The most important reason to build customer trust is to maintain your integrity.
Prioritize that, and you will deepen the fulfilling nature of what you do.
Fulfilling your intentions requires character, and practicing them is deeply satisfying.
2. Confidence reduces stress
Who wins when your stress levels are minimal?
Answer: everyone.
You, your family, your boss, your colleagues, and your clients.
Do you want to manage a rotating ledger, set up new accounts, and learn new advertisers?
of course not.
You prefer to enjoy a stable and more predictable book of accounts.
Only paid media professionals have so much bandwidth.
If you can achieve high retention through customer trust, your panel will consist primarily of old customers.
You can’t completely neutralize stress in this type of performance-based work; However, you can mitigate it.
Hello relaxation, goodbye stress.
The mental, physical, emotional, and relational benefits here are significant, and make up the second compelling reason to become an expert in client confidence.
Unless you have a weird high blood pressure fetish, you understand how valuable it can be.
3. You will earn more money
Defending the customer’s trust will pay dividends.
This increase in earnings will result from you consistently achieving high retention and generating referrals from customers.
While this may not be the most important reason, it is perhaps the most tempting.
4. You will increase retention
The most profitable clients are those who stay on the servers for years.
Hence, the most valuable paid media strategists are those with high retention.
This obvious fact boils down to simple economics: Instead of spending resources to get new customers, you’re keeping your existing customers happy.
The cost of acquiring new customers is much higher than maintaining the customers you already have.
People will only put valuable assets into the care of those they trust.
If you want to become and remain the marketer of choice for advertisers, building trust is the surest path to getting there and staying there.
As your attrition decreases, your value as a marketer goes up, which means more money in your pocket.
5. You will win more and better referrals
Satisfied customers refer customers.
When thinking about the lifetime value of a customer, we must take into account referrals, which greatly increases the value of the referrer.
Secondly, after upselling and cross-selling to existing customers, you will find no less fruits in your sales funnel than these products.
This point goes hand in hand with retention because it affects profitability, and is the third most important reason for maintaining customer trust.
Skillfully managed dissatisfied customers often outweigh customers who never have concerns.
How to build trust in paid media
Having established the importance of customer trust, let’s explore some tips to help you boost it. Rather than dump a familiar list of how the customer experience should be, I’d like to share with you something most paid media professionals don’t know.
Dissatisfied customers can be your most valuable customers.
Did you roll your eyes?
Good… keep reading.
Every paid media professional should know the converter (format that converts…get it?) below.
I have used it for years and have shared it with my employees because it effectively turns unsatisfied customers into valuable customers.
Skillfully managed dissatisfied customers often outweigh customers who never have concerns.
If your customer comes to you anxiously, seize the moment by repeating the following process: express gratitude, take ownership, show empathy, apologize, make amends, offer reassurance, and end on a confident note.
I’ve explained each of these below and provided an example so you can see this in action.
1. Express gratitude
The first thing to do is thank your customer for taking the time to detail their complaint.
If you truly value them and their business, you welcome any feedback that enables you to ensure they are satisfied with their overall experience.
Expressing gratitude in this context provides you with a unique starting point for connecting with such feelings.
2. Own your mistakes
We live in an age where people rarely own up to their own mistakes.
Our pride points to nowhere other than ourselves to blame.
Consider the amount of inner resistance you feel when you need to admit a mistake.
Ironically, the recognition we so desperately avoid is the very act that will take your customer relationships to the next level.
Resist the temptation to make excuses or justify yourself or her.
Humility is very attractive, and owning up to your mistakes is the most effective component of this process.
3. Show empathy
Empathy is important, as it gives credence to your customer’s frustrations.
It’s the moment they know you think their concern is worth it.
This sense of validation is often the primary trigger for the complaint in the first place.
You’ll want to be specific here as to their pain point, highlighting the extent of embarrassment or embarrassment (whatever applies), etc., in the particular situation.
This recognition will strengthen them in a positive and disarming manner.
Expressing sympathy in a non-public way will position you as their advocate versus opponent.
4. Apologize
People can recognize disingenuous apologies just as well as they do fake smiles.
After you thank them for providing feedback, owning up to the error, and showing empathy, your customer’s heart will be ready to receive your apology.
The probability of being accepted at this point is high because it will look more realistic.
5. Make a response
It’s one thing to say you’re sorry and another to prove it.
Enter reply.
Even if your mistake doesn’t cause any financial loss, I suggest you provide useful credit on your next bill.
If this isn’t your first fling with this client, you might consider getting a little more creative such as providing a month of free management.
Compensation will reinforce the sincerity of your expressed regret and provide the advertiser with a sense of fairness.
Their continued work, not to mention your reputation, will be worth it.
6. Offer reassurance
In addition to satisfying your customer’s desire for fairness, you’ll need to reassure them.
Make sure they know you have arranged countermeasures against possible future errors.
If the grievance is severe enough, you’ll need to detail what you’ve done to ensure no further wrongdoing has occurred.
At this point, it will be clear that you are committed to not only making it right but making sure it never happens again.
Your client already knows that you’re not perfect, which is okay because that shouldn’t surprise anyone.
What they will also know is that you have their back, and that is the money.
7. Solicit feedback
You’ll want to get feedback on your proposed solution to make sure it’s acceptable.
If they are not satisfied with your answer, your goal is defeated.
Assuming you are rational, you will seldom find a demand more or different than what you have offered.
This part of the process enables you to strengthen your humility and express that the relationship is truly cooperative as opposed to one-sided.
8. Finish with confidence
Ending on a note of confidence about the future of the relationship is strategic.
With this last hit on your keyboard or conversation, shift focus from present anxiety to hope for the future.
Think of this as a reset of momentum.
conversion at work
Here is an example of how to respond to a customer:
“Good evening, John.
First of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time to detail your concerns below. As someone who appreciates your work and appreciates you as a person, I find this kind of feedback very helpful.
This incident was clearly a mistake on our part because you were specific about what you wanted; Thus, there is no excuse for us not implementing accordingly. I know how frustrating it is to feel like you’re wasting money, so we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this caused you and we apologize for this oversight.
We want to give you a $300 credit towards your next bill to express our regret in a tangible way. In addition, we have already taken measures to ensure that this incident remains isolated. Please let me know if this sounds reasonable to you.
Thanks again for bringing this to my attention and allowing us to correct it.
We look forward to providing you with more excellent services from now on! “
Can you imagine how truly amazed and impressed your customers are with your level of professionalism?
This formula is so effective that it can be tempting to intentionally err for the opportunity to practice it.
Of course, there is no need to wear a dumb hat on purpose because mistakes are inevitable.
While you still need to exercise great care with your clients, you no longer need to fear neglect.
If you add this to your client-facing arsenal, an increase in client confidence is inevitable.
Another tip: Dealing with your client’s mishaps
As a bonus, I want to share another piece of advice about the value of an unhappy customer.
Some of my favorite moments in customer relations are when my customer drops the ball.
That’s right, I get excited when they arrive late to a meeting, not to mention completely forgotten.
grace extension
First of all, as a recipient of Infinite Grace, I love being a conduit to others.
Every failure, big or small, is an opportunity to be generous.
Grace, similar to humility, is not something people experience very often, which makes it doubly refreshing.
receiving grace
Every time I show grace, I increase the likelihood that I will extend it to me when my turn falls apart.
Do your best to extend grace to your customers, and you’ll stock up on a tank for yourself.
How
To show grace in the face of your clients’ failures, empathize with them, and ease their discomfort.
If they apologize for coming in late, remind them that we’ve all been there and you totally understand.
Then let them know it was helpful because you were able to get something else done, and playfully thank them for being late.
These small moments, though seemingly inconsequential, will deepen the relationship between you and your customers.
bottom line
Are you ready for a more fulfilling career, a healthier life, and opportunities to achieve your financial goals?
Build some client confidence!
While analytical understanding is critical in paid media and creativity is non-negotiable, earning advertisers’ trust will help you weather the inevitable storms of performance challenges.
More resources:
- 25 of the best paid media experts you should follow
- How to create paid search offers that are actually profitable
- Top 10 Pay Per Click Trends To Know In 2022
Featured image: adriaticfoto/Shutterstock
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