Why Trust Is the Key to Better Customer CommunicationBy Guest Post Playwright George Bernard Shaw said, The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. Nowhere is that as true as in business, where endors o!ten beliee they"e communicated clearly and e!!ectiely right up until the moment they lose their customers.Think about the most oerused bu##words circling boardrooms. $isruption. %uthenticity. &ustomer'centric. (ost o! them hinge on communication. )rite sti!! materials using corporate speak and there goes your attempt at sounding authentic. Stop listening to your customer *yes, listening is part o! communication+ and you"ll say goodbye to any chance o! disrupting the market by o!!ering an innoatie new solution.%nd then there"s customer'centricity , or as most o! us hae always called it, giing customers what they want. That"s about communication, too. Building strong customer relationships means listening to needs, -nding opportunities !or new recommendations, monitoring satis!action, resoling issues. )ithout clear and positie communication, the relationship will !ounder. you can count on it.So gien that so many businesses think they"re communicating well when they aren"t, how can companies bridge the gap/ 0biously your customers will hae di!!erent mindsets and e1pectations, which might make deeloping a uniersal communication approach seem like an impossible task. But there"s a key that works !or eeryone , and that"s trust.See, these are cynical times we"re liing in. (any customers are 2aded, wary o! disingenuous endors who neer delier 3uite what they promise. That means that whether you"re sering an internal client in your company or building credibility with a new customer across the country, your communication must dissole skepticism and inspire trust.(y team already does that, you might be saying. But 4 bet many o! your customers would disagree.Acing the Customer Communication GameThe mechanics o! customer communicationboil down to emotion. )e all like to think that we"re like Spock on the 2ob5 logical and analytical. 6et when assessing customer'endor relationships, people tend to make decisions based on emotion. )ere you aailable and responsie when the customer needed you/ $id you pay attention to their re3uests/ $id you seem genuinely concerned about their challenges and worries, and did you check in to make sure they were happy/Those are the 3uestions that haunt the customer"s mind. 4t"s why solely !ocusing on demonstrating skills and results doesn"t always coney your worth like you"d e1pect. To really establish long'term customer engagement, you must understand the cycle behind it5 communication builds trust, which dries customer satis!action, which leads to renewal and commitment.7ere are the real !actors that build credibility *and !oster loyalty+ in the endor'customer relationship5Getting personal. 6ou don"t hae to be best !riends, but personali#ing your interactions wheneer possible will go a long way to strengthening the relationship. Be warm. Be human. By building that rapport, you"ll hae an ally in your corner when it"s time to renegotiate or renew the arrangement.Speaking the clients mother tongue. 6our priority is portraying yoursel! as an insider who understands the customer"s priorities, struggles, and goals. That means speaking their language. 8se their 2argon and think !rom their iewpoint. your communication will resonate that much more.Manage the relationship. $on"t !all into the trap o! iewing usage or engagement as proo! o! contentment. %ll too o!ten the customer is 2ust riding out the contract. 4nstead, actiely monitor the customer"s satis!action by proactiely reaching out and -nding out what you can improe and modi!y eery step o! the way.Focus on outcomes. 4t"s not uncommon !or customers to wander o!! track with non'tactical ideas that don"t actually align with contracted delierables. 4n the end, it"ll be your 2ob to proe you moed the needle, so -nd ways to keep your communication centered on the right actions and metrics.Get in front of the ecision maker. $on"t waste a compelling message on the wrong person. (ake sure the person who decides your !ate actually sees your dedication and strong results, instead o! hearing skewed status updates !rom a middleman.Be transparent an !isi"le. (ost endors make one o! two mistakes5 they drown the customer in a 2umble o! data, results, and numbers, or they don"t proide enough isibility. Both approaches leae the customer in the dark. To demonstrate your alue, -nd a system that clearly displays your per!ormance. The customer should be able to see at a glance e1actly what you"e achieed, how well you achieed it, and what you"re going to delier ne1t. This remoes sub2ectie !eelings and biases !rom the e3uation and proides the ob2ectie eidence that"s oh so aluable when itcomes time to renew the contract.8ltimately you want to eleate your standing !rom a endor to a trusted partner inested in the customer"s success. By being proactie, accountable, !ocused, and sincere, you"ll proe that you"re not merely a remote business interested in pro-t but a committed partner with the client"s best interests at heart. That"s the kind o! status you want when it"stime to sign o!! on the ne1t chapter o! your relationship , and the tighter bond will make working together more en2oyable too.