Building Trust With Every Action

As the internet proliferates and more and more business activity takes place online, the opportunities are growing as well. While the great “tech bubble” of the 90s may have scared many away from the opportunities available in the world-wide-web, many more have realized that the bubble was just that, a bubble. The opportunities exist; they just weren’t entirely realizable over a decade ago. As the intent has matured, so too have the opportunities to a point where today, realizing your dreams through online activities is a true possibility.

While Phil Knight may have started his business in a garage, he very quickly had to expand into a true manufacturing space. Not so with the internet, where a profitable business can be run almost indefinitely out of a garage. Granted, most online operations need brick-and-mortar space as well, but the point is that great opportunities exist with relatively little capital investment.

Hard work is still required, as are vision, passion, and the right opportunity, but many more are realizing that they don’t need to have inherited millions or burden themselves with mounds of debt to be entrepreneurial. In addition to the attributes mentioned in the preceding sentence, there’s another key element to any successful venture, and even more so for online enterprises: trust.

While working online, it can be pretty tough to gauge who you are interacting with. This is, unless you do it right. Building and maintaining trust and healthy communication is extremely important in each business setting, even in online business interactions. The most successful people online are the ones who are able to build trust with their clients through every interaction. How do you build trust in your online interactions?

Create a Human Presence

Since so many of us are paranoid about spammers and so few people on the internet are who they really say they are, you need to ensure your contacts and clients that you are a legitimate person, not a robot. Humans want human connection, even when they are online. In any context, you need to first recognize that your clients and contacts are themselves human, and also present yourself as human. While this might sound nonsensical, it is the most important part of building trust. How do you appear more human?

Well, there are a few things that might not have even crossed your mind that will help you increase your “human” presence on the web, and make yourself trustworthy to the people you talk to online. An easy first step is to add a personalized e-mail signature at the end of your e-mails and to include a picture of yourself or at least something you are interested in. Those who present themselves as simply themselves gain the most trust from their contacts.

Be Honest and Professional

Yes, if you are selling internet marketing to people, they may be on edge. However, if you try to make friends with them, and then slip in the fact that you are actually trying to sell them something, you will lose an entire relationship. While you need to be honest, you also don’t need to make your online contacts your pen pals and tell them every detail about your life, especially if you have never met in person. Be as succinct as possible, while addressing all of their points in a timely manner.

Communicate Frequently

This shows your clients and contacts that you are reliable. If you cannot get back to someone in a timely matter, tell them why you were busy. Don’t just assume that they will know what you were doing, or that they will understand. To them, it may appear as if you are blowing them off or flaking out. Let them know what is going on in your life, without oversharing.

Keep in mind that when you are online, just as in life, your interactions are all about building relationships. Even if you have never met your clients or contacts, it is equally important to gain and build trust through your online communication as it is when you are doing a business deal in person. All people want to be respected and heard, and you can show them that you are there to have that connection with them for the long haul, and will not abandon them to the rest of the flakes on the internet.

Written by Jessica Stambaugh for the team at www.politicalsciencecareer.com, who branched out from corporate America to find their calling online.