And for good reason, considering how much money most of us make by selling our customers' names for profit without their permission. Now, consider that our profitability is directly connected to our level of customer loyalty, and a fundamental element of loyalty is trust. When you look at it this way trust becomes a critical element of your success. This is especially true in online and direct marketing businesses. That's why the most successful online companies are those that have the strongest brand names.
Strong brands engender a feeling of reliability, quality and consistency.
All of these are essential elements of trust, and all create a tremendous competitive advantage. When you buy a computer from Dell you don't feel like your taking a risk. But trust is not something you can build in a day. Dell has built its brand by providing consistently excellent service for over a decade. Remember, trust is earned through honesty, superior quality, outstanding service and consistent performance over time.