Trust is probably the most important word when doing sales, the most critical aspect.
It has been a longtime we’ve been thinking about this relation, and we definitely want to share it. It is well known how trust can become an incredible differentiator nowadays on a marketplace where not only there is an intense competition between brands, but also where brick and mortar retail is being severely affected by online shops, not a secret for anyone.
Through 10+ years of design experience, research, investigation, awarded visuals, and putting in practice our knowledge on the industry, actually bringing products and testing them into Specialty Leasing Programs, failing and also succeeding all along the way, it has been more than clear for us the importance of Brand Trust, and how Visuals can be a powerful tool to achieve it, and be of a great benefit for operators and developers.
Big retailers in shopping centers have had the time and resources to create a solid and reliable brand before their customers come, but what are the chances for small retailers who are bringing new products to be tested and passers-by don’t know anything about them? People buy what they trust, we all know it, operators in common areas might not have the resources for a big campaign of awareness, but they can provide a first great impression, one that provides customers with confidence on the brand and the product.
A client needs to know what they are buying is reliable, and unconsciously need some sort of guarantee that this business will be there tomorrow so they can trust on them. Visuals can take care of it, and inspire this TRUST on the merchant, which would be subsequently automatically transferred to the shopping center, and both can take advantage of it if working together towards this common goal.
Trust, afterwards bring loyalty and returning customers, which we all want.
We would like to share with you some of the aspects that we find may reinforce this trust on the merchants and the programs:
- Recognizable Brand Identity, the more solid, the more reliable. Professionally designed logotypes, corporate colors, and tridimensional, textured applications of it build trust.
- Right Colors to incentive the right moods the product wants to trigger. Customer needs to see consistency between the product and the space around it.
- Clear Message, what is the product, and an environment that conveys an approximate price range, it conveys transparency, honesty, this is key to build trust.
- Clean Spaces: This is a way to show honest appreciation to customers, when buying on a clean place, that makes clients feel comfortable, relaxed, they know this is a trustworthy place they can come back to.
- Products grouped by categories, functionality and colors, it says to the customer the merchant took the time to make the place visually appealing and organized, so as a client they can easily understand what it is about and easily selection what they need, this merchant understands that the shopper might be short in time so quickly provide them what they need, is empathetic, in result, they will trust him or her.
- Lighting, as this can enhance the qualities of a product and also set our moods, it is also a good tool to make it easy for the client to see the product and understand what is this about. The easier the merchant makes the customer life while understanding the products, the more reliable they will find it.
- Sales representative as part of the corporate identity: Being the person a part of the brand the customer can talk to, makes everything much easier, and a great way to endorse reliability. That person should be empathetic and really look forward to solve a problem for the customer and if additionally, instead of showing product features they show actual benefits and solutions for the client problems, that path to trust will become a solid road
Trust is hard to gain and easy to lose, therefore, there should be consistency all along the way for the customers, the more they find reliable sources to shop and live experiences, the more they will come back. This is an effort that should be made from different angles, from the general look and feel of the common areas, to the way product is organized, visuals can be a great first step.
Would you suggest another way that visuals could help gain trust?
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