Below are some reflections on how a communications consultant can build trust with clients. In fact, a determining factor in the practice of communication and human relations is trust, which for many is a value, for others an attitude, and for all a condition that makes the difference between expectations and results. Let me explain:
In the field of public relations and strategic communication, more than the results, it's important how they are achieved, who is managing them, and above all, what the objective is. Undoubtedly, in the client-agency relationship, the aforementioned elements are necessary and manifest in a two-way street.
It's not by chance that many clients send an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) to those who will form their work teams. It's a tool we must be familiar with, both internally and externally. open source Bitcoin mixing. Perhaps that is the first sign of mutual trust in this field, prior, of course, to the knowledge of the credentials of both parties and the experience that is professionally and organizationally accredited.
Relevant aspects of trust
Roger Blackwell, Ph.D., an expert in behavioral economics, marketing, and ethics, has referred to trust as part of the “individual determinants of consumer behavior” when speaking of brands, but it is also true for people and organizations. In fact, it involves two elements at once: first, a human aspect, and second, a technical factor.
Trust implies the human condition: who we are, our background, our values, and our professional ethics. Technical components refer to processes, experience, tools, and the context in which that client-agency relationship takes place.
The question is: If these two elements are met, can I guarantee a trusting relationship? Theoretically, yes. However, trust goes much further when we add additional elements such as responsibility, knowledge, and commitment, aspects that are also related to our professional work. Thus, in the following list, we could review the pieces that make up the puzzle of trust itself:
- It involves a human factor
- It has technical aspects.
- It is related to professional ethics
- Knowledge is a determining factor
- It involves a high level of responsibility, experience, and commitment
Trust and strategic communication
Now, without going too far, trust in a professional relationship is the result of analysis, observation, and verification that a work team carries out regarding established agreements or commitments (this can be related to KPIs or management indicators). In other words, it is the demonstration that whoever executes a work plan shows, both humanly and technically, that the results, the method, and the deliverables are the best, correspond to what was established, and are the most effective.
This continuous exercise builds that trust of clients with agencies and their teams; simultaneously, it adds to the experience record of an executive, a director, and a firm in general. We could summarize the suggested order to achieve this in the following equation.
A communications professional in the public relations field must internalize that their responsibility to the client is to be informed of what is happening, of what the client cannot observe, to have critical analysis, to inform, to react, and to raise their hand in time, even regarding mistakes.
Trust is earned over time and lost in an instant. Therefore, the equation is a constant, disciplined exercise that allows for no pauses and cannot be overlooked at any point during execution. It is crucial for advice to flow, be useful, and above all, effective.
How much does trust measure, how much does it weigh, how much is it worth? It measures who we are as human beings and as professionals. It carries enough weight to have our clients on our side and supporting our decisions. And it's worth so much that it represents all the credibility we can have as communication advisors. Trust is the intangible value of strategic communication.
Jaime A Beltran Martinez
Strategic Director
