No Reliability- Kiss Integrity and Credibility Goodbye!

RELIABILTY means people trust you whether personally or business, to deliver on a promise. In Sales- this is business critical!

At least 90% of Buyers especially Supply Chain leaders will surely agree that being reliable – doing what was agreed upon, delivering higher than expectations with excellence – is critical to staying ahead of the competition and in sustaining partnerships or repeat business.

In the Transport and Logistics world- here are some sample of highly regarded KPI’s;

• “Will you be there when you are needed?”
• “If you agree to do something, are you dependable?”
• “Can you be counted on to complete and stick to schedules, deliver products and services?”
• “How adaptable, supportive, and cooperative are you in case sudden changes in plans occur?

Gone or much rarer are the days when face-to-face handshakes happen often. We are moving further and deeper into the future that our relationships – both social and business – will continue to increasingly be conducted remotely, with personal interactions and transactions frequently taking place in digital forums. It becomes more critical than ever to ensure that we can trust those with whom we communicate and vice versa. Trust is the new digital currency. In business interactions it is critical that whomever we do business with will reliably fulfil their obligations and promises, whether it be in terms of delivery or quality of experience.

So how should a business promote Reliability?

Start with three simple ways,

1. Communication- clear, concise, candid.
   In my view, it is or if not one the most important measuring factors. Many make a mistake thinking communication is about giving messages or sounds emitted by you. This in fact is only 50% True. The other half is the ability to listen, receive, process, and fully understand the information or instructions from your customers. You must listen well, converse clearly, confidently, timely, and candidly. In the world of transport and logistics, time is important and no room for ambiguity-factual information is of the essence. This industry has been marred with an ugly reputation due to many ill-educated characters, many liars and conduct their operations with unfulfilled promises- leading to trust being heavily eroded and tarnished. To succeed and be part of the change- focus on communicating properly and correctly. Communication is the single most important factor in how far and deeply you can gain success in your personal life and earn a positive reputation in business. Though education is of importance, being a better communicator is the best road travelled.
   
2. Be certain of what you can commit to and consistently deliver on the promise.
   When you come to terms with your customer to buy from you, it is because you gained a level of trust and comfort in their expectations of you or the company. Do not accept responsibility for taking on services you cannot fully commit to. You want to be sure they receive the promised benefits and results from your commitments.
   
3. Provide excellent customer service.
   Poor after-sale customer service, or lack thereof, or poor customer experience, will without doubt decrease customer loyalty and profitability. Likewise excellent customer service will boost retention and increase sales. As simple as providing Track and Trace updates- always best to be pro-active and deliver status updates before the customer even makes the inquiry. This simple gesture is “what makes oil rise above water.”

No matter how well you have prepared yourself, there are at times things that will go wrong. People make mistakes. No one is immune from it. It is how you resolve it that matters most. Listen well, diagnose the issue at hand, resolve it with speed using sound judgement, empathy, and take responsibility. Be open to criticism and learn from it. This is how you prove your credibility.

Your stewardship to ensure promises are honored even when things go awry will go a long way to build your credibility and integrity.

“Trust is like the air we breathe — when it’s present, nobody really notices. When it’s absent, everyone notices.”  — Warren Buffett