How to make people trust you

Research into technology brands by Forrester has shown that:

• High complexity equals low trust.
• Late-adopters (risk averse) are less likely to trust brands than early-adopters (risk tolerant).

These findings have relevance for developing trust-based relationships with clients.

High complexity = low trust

The bottom line is that to create trust you need to be focused on helping the other person achieve their outcomes.

For technology companies this means making software and products that are simple, reliable and easy-to-use.

What do you need to do to make people trust you?

Imagine going to a doctor and being ‘sold’ on the latest drug they have learned about. You go in expecting the doctor to be interested in your situation, and to help you find a solution. But instead she quickly finds a reason (any reason will do) to tell you about this new drug and what it can do for you.

You would be disappointed. You might be frustrated. And you wouldn’t trust their recommendation of that drug … even if it was what you needed. You might even feel like the solution (the drug) was ‘pushed’ onto you.

The doctor didn’t display any real interest in your condition, or your individual requirements, so you don’t trust their recommendation.

Are you waiting for me to tell you how to make people trust you?

Well, here’s the truth. Trust is a two-way street

You can’t really ‘make’ people trust you.

Being insincere and creating trust under false pretenses just to get the result you want comes pretty close to being a confidence-trick.

But there are some things you can do to ethically encourage the development of trust.

In my relationship-based sales training programs I present a number of actions you can take to help create trust, including establishing expertise, and being dependable. These are best achieved by acting in a proactive manner and planning ahead to create trust-building moments.

And never forget that you have to be trustworthy to be trusted.

Importantly you need to trust your client so they can trust you. To trust your client you need to know them and their situation. So it gets personal. And often it can take a bit of time to find out what you need to know. There are no shortcuts.

However, not all businesses need to cultivate this degree of trust with their clients; especially those that offer smaller, retail-type transactions.

Understand what level of trust your client requires for them to be confident in you

Too many professionals and service providers treat their clients merely as transactions, simply a way to generate revenue. As a result they never ask the right questions to get a deeper understanding of what their client needs. So they never get to the stage of creating trust.

To foster the development of trust between you and your client you must:

• Be open to learning about your client.
• Be prepared to ask questions.
• Be confident in yourself.
• Be honest in your explanations.
• Make the time to create trust-building moments.
• Truly have your clients best interests at heart.