At the end of this podcast you’ll know all the elements you need to build brand trust and decrease your client and capital acquisition time and effort in this public reveal of my Brand Trust Accelerator Pyramid © framework.
Listen to the full episode here:
Many of my best clients have a favorite framework we implement into their brand strategy, website and beyond. Before we get too far into brand anatomy this pyramid needs to get an episode all its own.
This is my copyrighted brand trust accelerator pyramid. I adapted it from the founding principles of psychology, Alan Weiss’s Trust Pyramid and data in a recent study about the future of branding from The Center for Generational Kinetics. (The #1 generational research, strategy and keynotes speaking firm.) This is a pyramid but it’s upside down. Each level takes us into deep levels of trust without ideal customers, clients and an audience. I use this pyramid as a starting base to assess brands when onboarding them and then use it as a guide for website content and the brand campaign and marketing strategies at the projects competition. There are things to constantly curate, develop and grow. Each makes you a stronger brand faster than your peers or competitors. Imagine standing at ground level. In front of you is a massive pyramid into the ground. Each level is like a stair step deeper and deeper into levels of trust with your ideal audience and clients.
Level 1
TRUST BASED ON REFERRAL/TESTIMONIAL OF ANOTHER
For my financial and legal service clients you might have felt a block by all the rules and regulations. Testimonials are highly regulated and can cause conflict with compliance but don’t fear. That means that your referral game will be your primary focus.
However, asking for feedback from your clients and gaining insight into what they love best, other needs they have and ideas for further improvement should always be a part of a company's processes in order to grow exponentially without guessing. Surveys and reviews are also a great reason to reach out personally and keep building your relationship with current clients or also asking for referrals from past clients.
Recent changes in compliance rules do allow for more leniency in testimonials; there are just disclaimers that need to be added with those. Painless and so powerful to your business's reputation.
In other industries that are not quite so controlled both referrals and testimonials are the foundations. Building brand trust, your reputation and truly, in the first year or your 10 year are the most powerful ways to grow your client base and revenue.
Here’s why:
Level 2
TRUST BASED ON MANIFEST EXPERIENCE
When I say manifest experience I am not talking about manifesting in this case but think of a manifest in a ship. It’s a book of recordings of what you have done. It’s a display or evidence that you are a professional in your arena. That you are paid to speak, train, consult or advise on your topic and that and have invested money into developing your brand and what the clients interact with during their experience. That your level of professionalism and quality is reflected in all the touch points with your clientele.
This was the 2nd most important factor for all generations to see when it comes to paying for a product or service.
Before taking advice or putting their money into investments and paying you money people of all generations need to know that you are professional. What brand touch points visually or verbally can you show to provide evidence of this?
Usually it’s as simple as a photoshoot in your office with clients and seeing a professional website and your services listed on it. There are other more sophisticated ways to also take this to the next level but a photoshoot of you working with the right style and strategy is what a majority of your peers and competitors don’t have. Placing you at the top almost overnight in this area.
Level 3
TRUST BASED ON VALIDATION/UNDERSTANDING.
So now they know you get paid to deliver services in your industry and that other people have used you and had great success. Now they are asking… will this work for me? What’s in it for me? How does this help me with my goals and along my journey?
This is why speaking to your client and putting the spotlight on them is such an effective framework for communicating to clients and customers.
For the next deepest level of trust, we have crossed the fence when we communicate how we understand them, know where they are coming from and create branding touch points, visuals and messages about what any of this means for their circumstances and their life.
If we don’t they will have more hesitations and still be shopping around. They might even pass on you because they think “That won’t work for me/that’s not me.”
Our messaging and character position strategy get us over the halfway mark into deeper trust.
Level 4
TRUST BASED ON INTELLECTUAL RESPECT
We’ve now stepped into the 2nd to deepest level of trust with our audience or potential client or investor. It's important to all generations surveyed that you’ve appeared in the media as an expert. These increase the perceived level of quality and intellect. Demonstrating knowledge and unique content and speaking simply build trust on a level of trusted authority and mentor.
Some people think using technical or impressive industry lingo makes them more intelligent or sophisticated but it has the opposite effect on those you are looking to hire us. If you confuse you lose.
Your ability to make technical and complex things simple and comfortable will build brand trust and that’s likely exactly why they would hire you or invest with you instead of someone else. Your ability to make things simple and communicate them without confusing and making your audience uncomfortable is a sign of your authority on the topic.
This level of trust positions you as the guide and mentor they want to have and then that you can continue to be a trusted guide.
Level 5
TRUST BASED ON EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
This is the deepest layer of trust that you can create and nurture with your audience and clientele is through human connection. Human beings buy from and work with other human beings. This is why your messaging, character, beliefs, voice and photos to every experience thereafter should be delivered with your brand message, voice and authenticity. The future of business has proven its in the increased personification of brands.
Emotionally connected customers have a 306% higher lifetime value. That’s in referrals that sign up, longer retention and purchasing more products.
This was the Brand Trust Accelerator Pyramid framework that I use to audit my clients brand gaps, calculate their rebranding investment return potential and then use to make sure the brand presence furthers the development of the brand trust.
I also create for some of my elevated clients campaigns and help them execute PR opportunities, referral campaigns, content creation after the brand is launched so that they can reach their 3 - 5 year business plan in less time and using less resources.
Steve Jobs said that “A brand is simply trust.” If you want to reduce your client or capital acquisition time or your marketing costs and efforts, it’s time to build your brand trust.
Download the brand trust accelerator guide at Onthentic.com or on the podcast page at
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