and Makes It More Difficult to Attract New Students... and What You Can Do About It.
Trust is important. As a dance studio owner, I've found that buyer mistrust makes it harder to reach customers through social media.
Lack of trust can dramatically increase the length of time In this article, I'll explain the speed of trust and why buyer mistrust can make it difficult to connect with potential customers on social media. I'll also give some clues as to how to increase trust and lower your marketing costs.
Trust has a real money and time cost.
Before the 1970s, boarding a plane took minutes, not hours. Security mostly consisted of making sure you had a ticket and Identification. Unfortunately, terrorism made travelers feel unsafe. To rebuild trust, elaborate security had to be installed.
You probably saw the same in the early attempts of re-opening in the early stages of the pandemic. More time had to be taken to get students in and out of the studio, and more money had to be spent, or prices reduced to coax students through the door.
And there is one more factor. Social media is full of hot air. 100's of well-shot videos at poorly run studios. Just about every ad says "the best studio in [Insert studio name here]. The never-ending timestep of social media has jaded students causing doubt whenever they see it.
So how can you increase the speed of trust?
When we meet someone for the first time, we go through a process of subconsciously evaluating their trustworthiness. This evaluation happens in a split second and determines how we will interact with the person going forward.
Ask yourself, how much does it take to trust someone to take care of your needs if they know nothing about you?
The speed of trust is the speed at which trust is established between two people. It's important because it determines how quickly we can build relationships and establish trust with others.
1,2,3!
Three main factors influence the speed of trust: credibility, likeability, and reliability.
If someone is reliable, it means they can be counted on to do what they say they will do. For example, how do you react when a friend says they'll meet you for coffee at noon but doesn't show up until 12:30? You're probably less likely to trust them in the future. What about train schedules or when a mechanic says "it'll only take a minute". You probably won't have as much patience the next time. If you have kids have you ever taken them to get an injection? When we feel pain, our natural reaction is to distrust the person who caused it... the next trip to the doctor might not be too easy.
What about likeability? It's no secret that we all have our favorite cashiers at the grocery store. You know, the ones who always seem to be in a good mood and make small talk? Maybe it's their smile or their upbeat attitude, but whatever it is, you can't help but feel good when you're around them. It's not like the other cashiers are bad, but there's just something about this one that makes you feel good. And since they're always so happy and friendly, you secretly angle yourself to get into their queue. This is why companies like Starbucks, initially, spent so much time on little things like putting your name on a cup, or training staff to remember the orders of regular customers.
But amongst the most important is credibility. It is one of the most important things in life. Without it, we would have no way to gauge the truth of what people say. Therefore, we must build and maintain our credibility in all aspects of our lives. Credibility is the foundation upon which you build trust with others. And trust is the cornerstone of all relationships.
How to build credibility and trust
Credibility used to be about whether we believe someone has the knowledge and expertise to do what they say they can do. But slick marketing makes everyone look like an expert. Ryan Levesque says that today the new level of credibility is about showing your customer you understand their problem and that you are the best person with the best solution to solve it.
The difference between a so-so business and a raving success often comes down to one key thing: understanding your customers' problems.
If you can show your potential and current customers that you understand their specific pain points, you'll be well on your way to skyrocketing your business.
Stop telling your customers how great you are and start telling them how you understand their problems and have a solution.
Here are a few tips:
1. Listen to them carefully when they speak. In the social media world, you need to where they speak, too.
2. Demonstrate understanding of their needs a the heart of the matter.
3. Pay attention to the language they use to describe their problem.
4. And, most importantly, show them that you have a Solution.
By building trust with your potential students, you will be able to increase enrollment while also decreasing your marketing costs.
So be sure you're connecting with your potential students. To connect on social media, it is important to show you understand your future students' pain points and, most importantly, show how your studio is the best solution to their problems.
So what are you waiting for? Start connecting today!
Do you have any questions or comments about The Speed of Trust in the studio? Let us know in the comments below!