It has always been important that your target audience know, like & trust you or else they probably won’t do business with you. However, in today’s economy with consumers cutting back on their spending and scrutinizing every purchase, it is more important than ever.

Here are a few things you can do to enhance your credibility:

1) Always be honest. I know, it’s obvious but like so many universal truths, we can’t hear it enough. This means being honest not only with your customers but with employees, vendors, competitors – basically anyone you deal with personally or professionally.

I put honesty first because it is the cornerstone of enduring business success. A business can be built without it, but it cannot sustain long-term success without it. The house of cards will eventually fall.

2) Provide social proof.  There are several ways to accomplish this:

• Client testimonials (written, audio or video)
• Personal/character testimonials – maybe you’re just starting out & don’t have client testimonials, you can still ask people who know you well to give a testimonial of your character, knowledge, work ethic, etc.
• Case studies – documented proof of how your product/service has worked for a client
• Industry awards
• Get published in a respectable publication (there is a perception that someone who is a published author is credible)
• Write and distribute articles through online article submission services
• Get interviewed by a respectable media outlet
• Write a book
• Give a speech
• Become a Better Business Bureau accredited business
• Join local business organizations (ie. Chamber of Commerce)

3) Create an iron-clad guarantee and put it in writing. If your product or service lends itself to doing so, provide a money back guarantee if it doesn’t perform as promised.

The longer the guarantee the better. Not only will it give customers greater peace of mind, it will also reduce your return rate. Studies have shown a 30 day money back guarantee has a higher return rate than a 12 month guarantee.  Think about it, if you buy something that you’re not 100% sure of and know you only have 30 days to return it, you’re watching the clock and if you have any doubt on day 25, you’ll send it back. If you know you have a whole year, you tend to forget about it.

This will enhance your credibility while increasing sales because it will make it easier for those prospects who are on the fence to justify moving forward with you.

4) As referral expert Bob Burg says be a Go-Giver. Provide good quality content, advice, etc. without expecting anything in return. You will quickly become known as a trusted resource and will find your reputation and the number of referrals you  receive growing in tandem.