Honesty:
The Number One Thing
Consumers Want From Brands
The easiest way to determine what your customers want from your brand is to ask yourself what you want when you invest your hard-earned money in any product or service. The chances are good that you, like most people, want honesty and transparency.
In a world where hundreds or thousands of companies may be competing for a customer’s loyalty, it is important to deliver integrity along with a quality product. Honesty and integrity lie at the foundation of leadership, and to a great degree, that is what customers are seeking. People want to place their trust in a brand and go on about their day.
There are three reasons why honesty has become such an important characteristic customers want from brands today:
People Want to Get to Know Brands and Stick with Them
Today’s consumers are busy with their lives running in several directions at once. They need products and services that are reliable. They want to know that you consistently use the materials you claim, provide healthy and sanitary working conditions for employees, and deliver a product of consistent quality every time. When customers know they can trust you, they can quickly place an order then move on with their day. Trusting in you reduces stress from their lives.
People Do Not Want to Participate in a Scam
Customers face all types of complex decisions in a day. The last thing they tend to want to deal with is a scam that will cheat them out of their money. Even if the scam may not directly affect them, customers do not want to invest or even become an unknowing participant in something that is not above-board. People want to associate with businesses with integrity, using brands that directly reflect that integrity.
Companies like Amway have had to face the myth for decades that their company is not fully legitimate on some level. They are often faced with the question: Is Amway a pyramid scheme? Amway has operated as a direct selling business for high-quality products since 1959. The company relies in independent business owners to market and deliver products to their own customer base that they build over time. Working with more than 3 million business owners around the world, Amway offers these workers a chance to supplement their income with quality products from an honest company that has always stood up to and confronted negative claims.
The Online Marketplace Is a Mystery and Requires More Transparency
Back in the days when consumers primarily visited brick and mortar businesses, they were better able to get to know the business and its brand by walking through the place of business. They would see signs, logos, mission statements, and the products laid out in plain sight. Customers could pick up products to feel for a sense of good build and quality.
Today, customers increasingly rely on online sellers to ship goods to them at home. While this is a convenience people are happy to pay for, they still want to make sure they are investing in an honest company that will deliver the goods they want on time, every time.
As you continue building your business, keep a strong focus on honesty and integrity. This approach reassures customers that you have their bests interests in mind, along with the well-being of others, and that you simply live up to your word and brand.
