Chapter 3

Earn trust by giving consumers more control

Consumers have greater trust in brands that make it easy to reach out directly and that respond quickly. Trust grows out of promises kept, so being available for customers to make those requests and then following through right away builds a track record of reliability.

Again, we can see that the connection between trust and openness to dialogue is distinct, as an overwhelming 95% of consumers say they would trust a brand more if it was easy for them to initiate a conversation with the brand. Generation X and Baby Boomer consumers trust brands slightly more if they make it easy to initiate a conversation (96%).

95% of consumers would trust a brand more if it was easy to initiate a conversation.
88% of consumers would be more likely to purchase from a brand if they were able to message them in real-time.

And responding is just as important as listening, since 95% of consumers also say they would trust a brand more if they responded quickly to questions.

How quickly? In the moment. A large majority of consumers (88%) say they would be more likely to purchase from a brand online if they were able to message with them in real-time.

Real-time interaction is an important differentiator when consumers demand quick responses. In hours- or days-long gaps between asking for information and getting a reply, your business can fall off a customer’s radar while they move on to a more accommodating business.

Taking a regional view, we see even higher purchasing intent with conversational messaging in a number of countries. More than 9 in 10 consumers in Indonesia, Brazil, India, Mexico, and Singapore are more likely to purchase from a brand online if they’re able to message with them in real-time.

More than 9 in 10 consumers in Indonesia, Brazil, India, Mexico and Singapore are more likely to purchase from a brand if they’re able to message them in real-time.

Personalization goes further, unlocking deeper trust as brands not only deliver on the promise of service but also tune that service to the unique consumer’s preferences.

Local businesses can provide this personalization naturally, as staff see and get to know regular customers. The manager at the e-bike store knows which model you bought and checks in on your battery performance. The financial advisor who oversees your education investment account remembers to ask about your kids.

But conversations don’t have to happen face to face to generate this personalization. Messaging interactions enable the same kind of tailored engagement that consumers get at local businesses.

At the same time, the information learned about customers through conversations (zero-party data) can be used to continue personalizing their experiences. This cycle of listening, remembering, and customizing leads to better relationships: 98% of B2C companies say that personalization increases customer loyalty, and 83% of consumers agree (State of Customer Engagement Report, 2022).

Building loyalty then leads to increased spending with your business. Consumers say they would spend 20% more money on average with a brand that offers conversational messaging. This effect is even more pronounced among younger consumers, with 23% of Gen Z and Millennials saying they would spend more on a brand that offers conversational messaging versus one that doesn’t.

Consumers would spend an average of 20% more with brands that offer conversational messaging.

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