Writer and entrepreneur, Scott Oldford, wrote in Entrepreneur Magazine this week- “I’m sorry
to tell you this, but most people don’t trust you.”
And
it is true - particularly in a market. We have come a long way from the bad old
days when market traders sold nothing but rejects, or what had fallen off the
back of a truck, but our heritage is a little tainted.
Customers
don’t trust us, at least at first contact, and the selling process doesn’t give
a lot of time to correct that impression. It might be said that the whole
intent of the selling process is to convince customers that we are wholesome
individuals that they can trust with their spending. This is where social media
comes in.
Testimonials
to our credibility as retailers will often help new customers feel comfortable
with us. Written words, quotes, or photographs on social media like Facebook,
Instagram, and others can be very helpful in creating pre-trust amongst
potential customers. One of our traders who does that very well is Mino Voloder
(see photo above).
The
written word (or photograph) can have remarkable credibility and influence. The
importance of this type of communication is illustrated by the ongoing attempts
across social media to keep things clean, remove false news, and avoid fake
testimonials. “Likes” on Facebook, positive feedback on eBay, and good reviews
generally are all very important to serious retailers.
So,
if you don’t have social media exposure then get some (the QVM Marketing team
may be able to help you here). Ask your customers to give feedback and reviews,
and ask if they would object to you posting a photograph on your social media.
Social
media is a rich new source of exposure for traders and most of it is free.