In today’s digital-first world, customers put their data and confidence into your hands. The question is, are you certified to handle it?
Shannon Noonan, CEO and founder of Hainu Consulting and Global Ambassador with the Global Council of Responsible AI, has spent two decades helping organizations from startups to multinationals achieve compliance certifications that build lasting customer trust and drive revenue.
“You know what’s more powerful than a good product? Trust,” says Noonan.
Choosing Certifications Strategically
Not every framework is right for your business. Whether ISO 27001, SOC 2, ISO 42001, FedRAMP, or privacy requirements like GDPR or CCPA.
“Start by aligning certifications to your industry, customer expectations, and growth strategy,” Noonan explains. “A healthcare startup does not need to meet the same standards as a global fintech. Be strategic, target what builds the most confidence with your buyers.”
Most organizations chase certifications based on what competitors have or what sounds impressive. They pursue frameworks because they’ve heard of them, not because customers actually require them or they unlock revenue.
This wastes resources on obtaining certifications that customers don’t care about while missing ones that would close deals. It creates a compliance burden without a corresponding trust benefit.
It’s important to understand what buyers require to prevent pursuing irrelevant frameworks. For example, healthcare organizations need HIPAA compliance, financial services need SOC 2, and government contractors need FedRAMP. Having the right framework makes all the difference.
Operationalizing Compliance as Business Mindset
Compliance is not a binder on a shelf. It’s a business mindset.
“The fastest way to erode trust is to win a certification and then fail to live up to the standards,” Noonan explains. “Build your processes, tools, and training around operational excellence so audits are not just pass-fail. They’re proof of performance.”
Most organizations treat compliance as a documentation exercise. They create policies to satisfy auditors, then file documentation until the next audit. Between audits, actual practices drift from the documented standards because no one operationalized compliance into daily work.
This creates a gap between documentation and practice. When customers discover a gap through security incidents or failed follow-up audits, trust erodes faster than it is built. Certifications become a liability rather than an asset.
Operationalizing means embedding compliance into how work happens. Processes reflect documented controls, tools enforce security requirements automatically, and training ensures everyone understands how their work connects to standards.
When operationalized, audits become proof of performance rather than stressful tests. Organizations pass because they’re already living the standards.
Showing Transparency Proactively
Customers want transparency.
“Publish your certifications, share your controls, and offer clear communication around how you protect their data,” Noonan explains. “One of the best trust signals is proactive compliance storytelling, done in plain language. Let your customers see behind the curtain.”
Most organizations list certifications on websites and answer security questionnaires reactively. Beyond that, compliance stays hidden because organizations assume customers don’t care about details.
This misses an opportunity to build trust proactively. Customers researching vendors want to understand security before sales conversations. Security teams need detailed information to make decisions. Keeping compliance information hidden creates friction.
Proactive transparency publishes certifications prominently. Share controls and security practices in plain language so non-technical buyers understand. Offer clear communication around data protection so customers know exactly how information is handled.
Instead of waiting for customers to ask security questions, organizations leading with transparency explain their approach before customers wonder about it. Trust centers, public security documentation, and clear explanations of how certifications translate to actual protection let customers see behind the curtain.
Making Compliance Part of Value Story
“If you want your compliance certifications to do more than sit in a drawer, make them part of your value story,” Noonan concludes. “When done right, compliance isn’t a burden. It’s a revenue-generating tool. It’s a brand advantage. Trust is built on action. Make sure your certifications reflect that.”
Organizations treating compliance as a checkbox create a burden without benefit. Organizations treating compliance as a competitive advantage drive revenue through customer trust.
When compliance becomes part of the value story, it stops being a burden and becomes a brand advantage.
Connect with Shannon Noonan on LinkedIn for insights on achieving compliance certifications that drive customer trust.
