“Trust me. I’m in sales.”
“The check’s in the mail.”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
“Don’t you believe me?”
All of these statements and questions are asking others to put their trust in the person doing the asking. Why would one person trust another?
Would you believe a stranger who walked up to the you on the street and asked you to trust him? I’m guessing not.
Would you believe a close friend who had never steered you wrong in your long relationship? I’m thinking yes, you would.
When you are not quite a total stranger to someone, yet not his or her best friend either, is there a way to earn that person’s trust?
There is!
Trust, like any worthwhile quality, must be built over time and a series of actions. There are no shortcuts to building trust between people.
Trust is built very simply: do what you say you are going to do. Every time. There is no other way to earn that trust. You must prove you are honorable, believable and worthy of having trust placed in you.
This is a simple concept, yet people have difficulty accomplishing it. Trust is easier to establish between individuals, one-on-one, than it is for one person to gain the trust of a large group of people. Whether you are a parent and that “group” is your children, or you are a politician and that group is your constituents, you earn trust in the same way. Do what you promise to do. Be open and honest. Be honorable. If you make a mistake, own it, claim it, make it better. Do better next time if given a chance.
Listen to a song about trust by one of my favorite bands: