Building the know, like and trust factor, an essential element to sustaining and running a business, means building relationships.

Choices galore abound when it comes down to deciding which products to buy and what providers to use.

Options surround us. It can and does get super confusing! This is precisely why referrals and recommendations become so valuable.

A significant influence in all our decision making is the know, like and trust (KLT) factor.

When we know, like and trust someone we happily give them our support.

Building the KLT Factor

Building the KLT factor needs a combination of patience plus a strategic approach.

The first step is being visible. If no one can find you, then a relationship cannot develop. That doesn’t mean you need to be everywhere.

Be strategic about where you want to be seen.

That will vary from business to business but in a nutshell, it needs to be where you target audience is. Target audience, can be either people moving in the circles that will come across your audience, or where those needing your services are hanging out.

It means being visible. This applies equally whether in the on or offline world.

4 Quick Tips

• Be supportive; In the online space this means liking posts, visit pages and leave a comment
• Be helpful; add value, share resources/articles you may have seen elsewhere that are valuable
• If you ask questions and get an answer that is valuable, or use a recommendation be sure to give kudos, share results
• Draw back the curtain every now and then to share a little “peek” into your personal life; telling a story, sharing a photo makes you more relatable.

Each of the tips that I’ve shared is focussed on being SEEN regularly and in a non-salesy, icky pushy way. You are building and nurturing a relationship.

If you have a social media account, it’s crucial to be active. At least a few times a week, except on LinkedIn -a slightly different beast.

You never know when someone will land on your page; if they don’t see activity in the form of recent posts, they may assume you are no longer in business. Definitely not a good look!

Do you have a tip to share on your favourite way to build the KLT factor?

To your success!

Michelle