Creating a good reputation for your organization is the key to establishing trust with your clients and donors. Trust is an important factor when someone decides whether to donate funds to your nonprofit or retain your organization for services.
What factors create trust? According to a study conducted by Ted Flack in 1996, trust comes from several interrelated impressions, including:
That your organization has been around for a while. A company that has a proven track record and has consistently shown the community it is trustworthy has something valuable that can't be quickly created--only time and experience can earn you this one.
That you're not wasteful. Do you spend your money wisely? Do profits go back into the organization, or to the clients, to strengthen the company? Or are profits splurged on unnecessary items or high employee salaries?
That the people running your organization are respected. Are your people held in high esteem and active within the community? Are they industry leaders? Do they have connections that can bring resources to the organization? Or are they unknowns who come to work Monday through Friday and then aren't seen again?
That money primarily goes to your cause. If you are a nonprofit, does the public know that money will go to helping people (the cause) or are there high overhead costs and frivolous spending? What do people say about your organization after they leave?
That you provide good services. Surprisingly, many donors and volunteers will judge the quality of the services you offer by the look and feel of your facility; this is especially true for nonprofits. Since most donors will never use your organization's services, they will make judgments about how good the services are from your organization's physical appearance.
That your agency is run professionally. Much of the overall impression outsiders have of your organization comes from its printed material and contact with its people. Are promotional materials done in a business-like, quality manner or do they look amateurish and unprofessional? Do people at your organization interact with the public in a mature and professional manner?
One thing noted from Flack's study was that an organization being "innovative" or creative was not in any way a factor when evaluating trust.
Knowing this, what are some things you can do to build a solid reputation and begin to create a good relationship of trust with clients and donors?
About the author
Founder of A Marketing Connection and The Copywriting Institute, Kelly Robbins, MA, is an award winning copywriter and healthcare marketing coach/consultant. She also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, a free e-zine on healthcare marketing tips. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, "5 Critical Mistakes Healthcare Marketers Make that Lose Sales and Plummet Profits" at www.AMarketingConnection.com or 303-460-0285.
