I feel like I keep writing about what can destroy trust in the client-consultant relationship. So it struck me that it might be worth talking about the opposite. Who wants to live in the negative anyway?

Trust is something that can make the execution of a social media plan absolutely seamless. And the lack of trust can absolutely destroy the same plan. It’s that important.

If you want to make sure you achieve your goals on both sides of the client-consultant relationship, then it’s time to start investing in that trust. Wondering how? Let’s take a look at some things you can do.

Speed

For me, speed is everything in the client-consultant relationship. Clients who respond to me quickly show me they understand that most of my questions need a timely answer. And it shows that they value what I do for them.

Does that mean that I expect an instantaneous answer every time? Absolutely not. But answering quickly when you can, even if it’s only fifty percent of the time, just goes a long way towards building our relationship.

What if you don’t have an answer? Sending a quick message back to tell me you’re on it helps as well. I can then go back to the fan, if it’s their question, and say truthfully that I will get back to them as soon as possible. Or if it’s a question that is holding up a post that needs to be posted today, at least I know that some kind of resolution is coming.

And speed from the consultant matters as well. I once worked with a consultant that said she responded to every email within twenty-four hours. To me, that was too long. I strive to respond within an hour. But I also tell my clients to text me instead of email if a response is required quicker than that. I think knowing that I’m this available to them makes most clients more comfortable and trusting. And in most cases, clients are very careful about texting me something that’s not an emergency. They know I will drop everything for their text message. So it’s trust-building on both sides.

Schedule

It seems simple but telling each other when you won’t be in the office goes a long way to building trust and respect.

In my case, I tell clients at least two weeks in advance when I will be out of the office. Then we can adjust any upcoming schedules for content and go over any systems needed during my absence. Not that it’s ever a true absence. I’m always available to clients who need me. Like that one time I was at Disney World when one of my client’s partners was named a top location on Tripadvisor. We made things happen while I was at Epcot Center.

The same needs to happen on the other end. I can’t tell you the number of times I have been in a jam because I need an answer to a question as soon as possible. But I have no idea where my client contact has gone. This, most times, leads me to messaging secondary contacts. That’s how I find out that my primary contact is not in the office. We then try to piece together what we can and cannot do with no real guidance.

The easiest way to make sure that doesn’t happen is to let me know when you will be out of the office. I don’t need to know the off hours. But a full day out of the office is something I should know as a consultant. And then point me to someone who can take over and give me the parameters for what we can do. Having all of this clear will make any times out of the office smoother and will empower us while you are gone. Empowering those you work with always builds so much more trust.

Active listening

One of the best ways to build trust is to just show you are listening to each other. It seems simple and it really is.

I take a lot of time to teach my clients about social media and its capabilities, as well as what it can’t do. I find it’s so important as we create content together. Then I don’t have to start from scratch every time and make everyone frustrated.

Having content coming to me that demonstrates that they are listening is huge in my book. Not having to re-educate with each piece of new content saves everyone a lot of time. There is just a sense of relief when I see that I’m being listened to. Then there is a sense of awe as I see a client grow in their knowledge overall and become a better marketer.

On the other side, I have to show that I am also listening. Knowing your goals is such an important part of being a consultant. I also adapt my systems to how my clients like to work. I don’t always make it to exactly what they like to do, because my ability to work easily is important as well. But I do customize my systems as much as possible.

I also have to listen to actions and what is not being said. Those empty spaces may be things I need to address, so we do get better results in the long term. And I have had clients tell me certain things are important to them, but their actions show something completely different. I have found when I listen to those actions as well, I am much more effective at getting the client to where they want to be. So make sure you are not focused on just the words they use.

All in all, lots of open communication should get both the client and the consultant to the trust that they need within their relationship. Anticipating what each other may need and the willingness to help are two other steps that really help get you there as well. If you keep putting the work into the relationship, the actual work you need to be doing gets easier and easier.

How are you building trust with your client or consultant?