Wanna buy my SSL?

Last week I was talking with a consultant who happens to belong to a well-known, well-regarded professional association.

She was wondering whether it would help to mention this membership in her marketing emails.

Membership in a professional association is a small “trust signal” that can help reassure a client who’s considering working with you.

It’s a bit like the blurbs you often see on an online form when you check out, explaining the technical safeguards that have been put in place to protect your private data:

“Your credit card information is protected by a secure SSL encrypted transaction.”

When was the last time you bought something BECAUSE OF that message?

Trust signals like this can help reassure a few people who are on the fence that you’re trustworthy enough to do business with.

Lead with the problems the client cares about, and save the professional credentials for later, AFTER you’ve sparked their interest.