Honesty, accuracy and balance key to building trust in marketing

Part of the problem with marketing is that many people use it to rip someone off.  They lie to their customers, or, to phrase it tactfully, use claims that are not and cannot be substantiated.  As a result, most of us are skeptical when we see someone making a statement that we know we should not believe.

But for all the bad in marketing, you’ll also find a lot of good.  Especially from the people who market with education.  When you use education-based marketing, you help people understand their problem and the solution you can provide.  And you help your prospects at the time you deliver your message, regardless of whether that person ever does business with you.

Naturally, we want people to hire your services.  And many will.  But they will decide whether to hire you only after they receive your educational message and determine whether they want you to help them solve their problem.

Follow these rules when delivering your marketing message.

1.  Present your message honestly.  You accomplish nothing by shading the truth or creating the impression that you can do more than you really can.   Well, actually, you do accomplish one thing:  You arouse your prospect’s suspicions during the time he’s considering whether to hire you.  By being truthful, even if your prospect does not hire your services, he will never be able to say you weren't honest with him.

2.  Provide factual information that is accurate.  When explaining your prospect's problem and the solutions you can provide, make sure your facts are accurate.  If a particular fact is key to the prospect hiring you, show your prospect the fact on paper and its source.  If you found an important fact in the Wall Street Journal, show your prospect the article that contains that fact.

3.  Weigh the positives and negatives.  Everyone knows that the solution to their problem comes with pros and cons.  Make sure you present both the strengths and weaknesses.  As long as the strengths outweigh the weaknesses, you can make a good case for your prospect moving forward with the solution.

In marketing, credibility is everything.  If your prospect doesn’t trust you, nothing else matters.  Anything you can do to show your prospect the source of information helps him decide in your favor.  Honesty, accuracy and balance are key.  Make sure you present a balanced message that is honest and accurate.

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© Trey Ryder

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