Photo by Mike Johnson
Seth Godin recently blogged about The Benefit of the Doubt and its impact on business. He says that misunderstandings, mistakes, and misinterpretations are inevitable in business relationships. If we’re dealing with someone we trust, we give the person the benefit of the doubt in those situations. We believe that our trusted counterpart will work with us to fix the problem and correct the misunderstanding. If we’re working with someone we do not trust, then we are likely to see the problem in a different light and we are more likely to act in a way that protects and promotes our position. A quick solution to the problem becomes unlikely.
The Web has created an opportunity for us to build trust personally and for our businesses. When customers leave positive reviews online, when they blog about our customer service, and when they are connected with us on Linkedin or Facebook, there is a basis for those customers and for our new customers to trust us when problems occur. Of course, if your online reputation is characterized by poor customer reviews, you can be assured that you will not be given the benefit of the doubt, even when you should be.
Web Word of Mouth can provide evidence of your trustworthiness for new customers that will prompt them to give you the benefit of the doubt when mistakes and misunderstandings crop up, as they inevitably will. Give your business an advantage in customer relationships by working purposely to build Word of Mouth online. Let your customers attest to your trustworthiness online and earn the benefit of the doubt in your business relationships.
Please contact us to learn more about Web Word of Mouth.
