Business owners need to understand the science behind trust if they are to achieve success, according to one neuromarketing specialist.
According to Roger Dooley, the founder of marketing agency Dooley Direct,
people form an opinion about another person or business in milliseconds.
Because of this, Dooley argues businesses need to understand how trust is formed in order to avoid a situation where a customer or potential client thinks they lack credibility.
Read more: How to earn and build trust in your business
“There is a wealth of research showing that first impressions are formed in much less than a second, and are often quite durable,” Dooley writes.
“A first impression can even prevail over later objective evidence that conflicts with that impression.
“So, be sure that whatever your customer sees first supports the impression you want to form. Even a few seconds later may be too late.”
Dooley says businesses should leverage trust not only to win loyalty from customers but to snap them up in the first place.
In fact, the author argues that building credibility by using trustworthy faces in marketing campaigns is actually easier than building trust in-person, because what is shown in your ads or on your website can be controlled more easily.
“By choosing a face image that has strong trust characteristics we will increase the trust in our company or brand,” Dooley says.
“Similarly, whether you are including a photo of your CEO or a customer service rep, try to find (or create) an image that embodies facial trust characteristics.”
Broede Carmody is a former senior SmartCompany reporter. Before this, he was a co-editor of RMIT University’s student magazine Catalyst.
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