Trust is elusive, and it is one of most critical components of why people buy. Buyers must trust that what they are buying provides the expected value. However, trust plays a different role based on what the buyer is purchasing and how that purchase provides value. For example, when it comes to purchasing simple commodities value is often tangible and easy to measure. If I go to a grocery store to buy an apple I trust that it is going to be free of worms. If I find worms, outside the emotional distress how have I really been impacted? The cost of the apple is nominal, and I can just show the store the worms and get a refund. Sure, its possible that the store may deny responsibility, but now I know I need to take my business elsewhere and all I’m out is 79 cents. But most business to business selling is obviously not that simple. The ROI of many products and services are not immediate and can be very difficult to measure objectively. It is simply impossible for the buyer to really know the return of what they are buying. To make matters even more complex, larger purchases … Read More
