Honesty pays - or does it?

We came across a story in a marketing industry mag recently that gave us a bit of a giggle so we thought we'd tell you about it...

Not just because you will probably crack a smile over it too, but because it raises a really valuable point for us all to consider when selling.

The article recounted the story of a bloke selling his mission brown (yep, mission brown) ute on ebay. The ad he posted was a real warts and all account of his beloved ute right down to the numerous "modifications" engineering by his size 11 boot.

Then something amazing happened. People started bidding on the mission brown ute. Lots of people!

Finally this bloke felt compelled to lodge another post telling the silly buggers to stop bidding since he was telling the truth - his ute really was a "turd" of a vehicle.

Still, that ute was successfully sold for a good price.

The attraction seemed to be, not the horrid ute itself, but this guy's flat out honest approach.

We live in a cynical world and when a dose of truth like this comes along, it's kind of refreshing.

So is this sort of result repeatable for all of us?

Is honesty in sales really possible?

Does it work?

Our answer...Ummmm, yes, yep and oh yeah!

Let us explain. One of the biggest motivators behind a buyer's decision to purchase is Trust.

We all know this right? It's why massive companies spend billions on branding - if we recognise something, we trust it. If we've bought it before and the quality was good, we look for it, recognise it, and buy it again, and again and again.

But how do we build trust as a small business? We don't have wheelbarrow loads of cash ready to tip all over our brands.

To build trust in your business, you should focus your marketing spend on strategies that develop the relationships you have with existing clients.

We all know it's easier and more profitable, to sell to an existing client rather than chase strangers.

Building trust with your clients requires open and honest communication on a regular basis.

Here's what you could do to build trust in your business relationships:

Always, always do what you say you are going to do.
Follow up after a sale with a phone call or thank you note.
Use coupons or a loyalty system to entice customers back to your store.
Ensure consistency across all your advertising including elements of design and language.
Send an E-newsletter like this wondrous publication.
Use customer testimonials everywhere
Tell stories in your advertising - people will trust you more if they can get to know you.
Think about your products and services from your customer's point of view.

Do you have anything to add to this list? What strategies have you used in your own business that help build trust? Email us with your thoughts.