Wanna get a coffee with me? Depending on your location, we can meet in person or do a virtual. I’m gonna be all over the US this year so there’s a good chance I’ll show up in your area. The reason I’m offering is because sometimes it’s helpful to meet who we will work with. I pride myself and my business on having integrity and being true. And I had an experience lately that was the opposite of that. I ignored the signs and gut feelings and gave the person a shot and I got burned. Thankfully not for a lot of cash but definitely for not trusting myself. So how can we show integrity and good values in our marketing as people are getting to know us? That’s what we’re going to cover today.
Resources
- Tool of the Week 👉 Termageddon
Speaking of digital street cred… this tool is an easy to use app for generating things like a privacy policy, various disclaimers, terms and conditions and end user license agreements. - Recommended Podcast 👉 Micheal J. Fox on Literally! with Rob Lowe. I’m about halfway through but so cool hearing them talk back and forth. I forgot that Michael J Fox wrote some books, quite a few and now I want them all.
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple
Okay, so here’s the story. I signed up for a service from someone I actually had met in person.
I didn’t sign up right then, but I didn’t get good vibes, and I’m not saying the person is bad, it just means that our vibes didn’t match. It was almost like a feeling of, I need to steer clear of this person.
So a little time passes and they put out an offer that I thought, well, just try it. If you don’t like the experience, at least maybe you get a lesson out of it.
Just taking my own advice basically that I give sometimes and not poo-pooing it before trying it.
As it turns out.
I should have stuck with my gut instinct and let the opportunity pass.
And in thinking back, there were red flags and things that I should have seen a little bit more clearly. Maybe I should say I shouldn’t have ignored.
So what I’m gonna share today are some integrity markers.
Four things that can help shed some credibility, some street cred, some things about your business to help people get to know you better.
Integrity Marker #1
Professional scheduling system.
Now I will say not everyone likes to use a calendar scheduling tool, and many times I offer a couple times inside of an email instead of just sending them off to the calendar link. I feel like it is a little bit more personal that way.
However, I then do follow it up with a proper calendar invite. The the opposite of this is doing something all through social messaging. And not sending any confirmation or follow up or anything via email.
And now thinking back to it, I actually gave the person my email address and they did not use it. So that’s an interesting thought back.
Integrity Marker #2
Visible credibility.
Just having a website doesn’t cut it anymore. You need some visible proof that your business can be trusted. Google calls it E-E-A-T.
I like to call it Digital Street Cred. E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authority, and trust. Here are some simple signals:
- That your site is secure with an SSL certificate, meaning it shows up as https:// instead of http://
- About page
- Contact information page that’s clear and easy to find.
- Privacy policy page and terms and conditions page
Clear refunds and returns policy (for e-commerce businesses) - Author names and bios on your blog post
- Accurate citations
- Up-to-date reviews
- Back links from authoritative sites
Integrity Marker #3
Timely responsiveness.
We all have our boundaries and varying degrees of expectations on this one. I get that. And some emails just plain. Do not reside in the high priority camp. Do the best that you can with the time that you have. And if something slips by and you can’t get to it, just own up to it. Apologize and move on. Make amends in some way if you need to.
Integrity Marker #4
Provide information without pressure.
Now this one is tricky if you use urgency as a marketing tactic. That can be a valid approach when it fits your brand. I’m talking about this more from not making someone feel guilted into buying or sending like a thousand emails with the same sale. Nobody likes being pressured to purchase.
I gotta say, my recent experience definitely got my blood boiling because I expected professional communication and handling of my dissatisfaction. You know what? I’m just, okay. I’ll just say it. I was f’ing pissed. My experience was so poor and the communication was just as bad when I did happen to receive communication.
On a lighter note, it gave me the idea for these integrity markers. It’s also given me the opportunity to look at why did it piss me off so much like I’m talking about it right now and I am livid inside. Liv. Id.
Given the work I’ve been doing on myself over the past couple of years. I think it touches on the feeling of being ignored and dismissed. Ultimately, touching on that underlying feeling of unworthiness.
Anyway, that’s not something I’m gonna fully uncover at this moment, but very good thinking points.
The Takeaway
Business integrity isn’t something you can fake or buy. If you don’t have it, your business won’t last. Share signals on your website to help Google and your next client feel good about choosing your business.
