There is a lot of work that goes into the day-to-day business of branding and marketing. It can consume anyone in charge of a brand. Which makes it tough to take a step back and assess efforts from time to time.

Because of this, I see something happen with organizations and their brands. It's not a pronounced mistake – like a glaring omission or an embarrassing error. It's something much more subtle. As such, it tends to escape examination. And as a result, it becomes just the way we do things.

But this oversight can erode your ability to build that elusive trust that we hope to have with those you hope to serve. The trust that turns prospects into customers. And customers into advocates.

The reality of today

Those we hope to serve want to engage with brands that get them. But understand, that has to be more than just a relevant product or service.

I have had leaders say, "Our offering perfectly meets their needs." That's great and shouldn't be minimized. But here's the harsh truth – it's not enough.

Today competitors seem to come out of the woodwork. And our prospects find a multitude of options with one Google search. Needless to say, getting prospects' attention becomes challenging. Gaining their trust even more so.

This is why it is important to look at how our brand presents to those we hope to serve.

The trust spoiler

Too many brands have their focus all wrong. It's inward-facing.

These are the brands that greet us with statements like, "We are (insert company description here). They follow that by launching into their offering with "We have (insert product or service description)". It takes them a while to get to what it all means to us. A rare few will actually connect it to why we should care.

It may feel good getting the chance to tell the world who you are and what you do, but it does nothing to build trust with those you hope to serve. In fact, it can have the exact opposite effect. Do you think prospects really want to hear a brand blather on about itself?

But like I said, it happens a lot out there. That's why it's easy to miss. Or ignore. If others in your market do it, it starts to feel like standard operating procedure.

Building the trust

The quickest way to build trust is to take the focus off of you and your offering and put the focus on the needs and desires of your prospects. If you do this sincerely, you'll find yourself talking more about them and less about yourself. Don't worry. It doesn't mean you can't talk about your offering or your expertise. People want to know about that. It just means that all that stuff about you comes second.

Here is the magical part of this. When you focus on them first, they begin to view you as a valuable resource. And a helpful ally. When this happens, that elusive trust forms.

Putting it into practice

Ask yourself this question. Do you really understand the problem your prospects are trying to solve or the opportunity that they are trying to take advantage of? The answer is not, "They're looking to buy a (insert your product or service)." Nobody really wants to buy an insurance policy. But they really do want to make sure their loved ones are cared for if something were to happen to them.

Think about who you hope to serve and what is it that they want and desire. Then start offering solutions rather than trying to push product.

It may seem a bit awkward at first. I've had frustrated leaders ask, "Can't we just tell them about what we have right out of the gate?". The answer is of course you can – if you don't really don't need to give prospects a meaningful reason to care. Or if building trust is not a priority.

Let's face it, building trust is always a priority.