Something to ask your advertisers

Do you trust me? Growing the relationships you have with your advertisers is key. Staying on top of trends, bringing them new information and helping them answer sometimes-difficult questions can set you apart as a necessary and trusted partner and resource.

I love being part of our coaching calls for the Leadership Masterclass. Just yesterday, we had a conversation about trust. Do your sellers trust you, do you trust them and how do you know? The same is true for clients. Trust is the foundation of any successful relationship.

Microsoft was kind enough to share with RAB Webinar attendees the Marketing With Purpose playbook from Microsoft. You'll find it by clicking here.

At the center of the Venn diagram shared in the report is TRUST and how important it is that consumers trust the brands and people with which they do business. At your next client meeting, you might consider asking them this question:

Do your customers trust you? And the follow-up: How do you know? Trust is an important component of any relationship, and the business relationship with consumers is no different. In Microsoft's playbook, they offer six ways your clients can demonstrate responsibility that can build trust:

Delivers on promises made in their advertising and marketing

Respects customer privacy

Protects customer's personal and sensitive information

Is open and honest about how personal data will be used

Proactively solves issues if products/services do not deliver as expected

Provides accessible customer experiences

Think of the great conversations you can have with your clients and prospects by discussing trust and providing those consumer measurement points from the Microsoft playbook. If you choose to have the conversation, we'd love to have you share the results. And when you do have that conversation, you are building your own brand of being a "trusted" advisor and partner in your client's success.

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.