RAB Insights

RAB Research Archive

Do Your Clients Trust You?



Research and experience have taught us that clients who trust the people they work with will be more open and honest and likely will spend more than clients who see their reps as simply transactional partners.

Trust is the foundation of any good relationship, and there are many definitions of what it means to be trusted. But wouldn't it be nice if we could get a glimpse into a client's mind and know specifically what they believe trust means?

Thanks to Borrell and Associates, we have such a glimpse. As part of the annual RAB-Borrell Benchmarking report, clients were asked: What Influences Radio Buyers to Trust a Rep?

As you can see, more than half of radio advertisers say that knowledge is the key to building trust. Gordon Borrell also included certifications or validation of that knowledge as a powerful trust builder.

The great news is that you are totally in control of your knowledge base. Books and classes on marketing, general business and advertising philosophy are all recommendations for a well-rounded learning strategy. RAB offers five certification courses that have been recognized for years as the gold standard of media seller knowledge validation. Beyond that, we recommend you subscribe to client category trade association newsletters, visit the association websites and search for key influencers in categories. Industry trade publications typically talk about the challenges the industry is facing and has subject experts offering solutions.

The cliché says, Knowledge is power. Knowledge also builds trust.

Whaddaya know?

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can all so connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Source: Jeff Schmidt, RAB