Discretion. Seller respects confidentiality. Seller gets permission, uses care before sharing information with others. Maintaining customer confidentiality is one of the 12 Dimensions of Trust every seller ought to remember.
These 12 Dimensions of Trust represent the 12 ways a seller can build or erode trust with buyers. Each associated action creates a connection or causes a disconnection. Knowing about all 12 Dimensions of Trust empowers a seller who wants strong connections founded in trust. Not knowing leads to buyer mistrust and seller confusion. In this post, part of a continuing CONNNECT2Sell series, our focus is on maintaining customer confidentiality.
“Seller gets permission, uses care before sharing information with others” is a frequently missed dimension of trust. In an effort to close the deal, a seller sometimes divulges to a prospect what competitors are buying. This may be effective in getting a buyer’s attention and even in compelling a close. But it also leaves a residual feeling of mistrust. If the seller is sharing the competitor’s information, the buyer realizes his or her information might be shared, too.
Trust is built when questions are used to erect walls around what is confidential. Asking “Would you mind if I shared this?” is professional and courteous. Asking “How much can I share about you with your competitor?” is a fair response when a buyer asks a seller to share confidential information about someone else.
What are the land mines you've fallen into when it comes to violating customer confidentiality?