Trust Matters
By Michael Norton
The story goes something like this:
Fire, Water, and Trust decided to go on a hike. As any good
hikers would do, before they departed, they decided to make a plan
in case they became separated. Fire was the first to speak and he
said, “It will be easy to find me should I get lost. Just look for
smoke and wherever you see smoke you will find fire.”
Water spoke up next and she said, “If I get separated from the
group, just look for green grass and flowers, and where you find
them you will also find me.”
“Well,” said Trust, “you better both keep an eye on me, because
when Trust is lost, it is not easily found again!”
Trust is so important in every relationship — husband and wife,
parent and child, friend to friend, and business and customer. As a
matter of fact, research tells us that there are five primary
reasons that people choose not to make a purchasing decision, or
choose not to buy-in or get involved in a project.
No. 5 – No Want
No. 4 – No Need
No. 3 – No Time
No. 2 – No Money
And the No. 1 reason – No Trust
They simply do not trust the person, the product, or the company
enough to make a commitment to buy or get involved. Since Trust is
so important, how do we first establish Trust and how do we
maintain that Trust? It’s not very complicated, folks, and
actually, it is quite simple. In personal relationships and in
business, the first step is just being there. Being there for a
friend or family member in need and being there when a customer has
a question, a return, or wants to purchase our goods or services
will go a long way towards that first step. Showing up is half the
battle.
You can also turn TRUST into an acronym and develop each part
into a strength:
T – Think about others and what you can do to help or add value
in every situation.
R – Relate to those around you, what they are going through, and
establish rapport.
U – Uncover their needs by asking relevant and sincere
questions.
S – Share ideas and solutions that are focused on the other
person.
T – Take action and follow up on what you say you will do.
Honesty, integrity, and character also play an important role in
establishing and building trust. Research also tells us that people
respond better to communication, regardless of whether the
information is good news or bad news. They would prefer that
information is delivered and communicated honestly so that they can
make an informed decision. If people know that you are a person or
a business that operates with integrity and that you have the
character to communicate bad or difficult news, they will be
absolutely convinced that they can count on you to deliver on
promises and commitments in other areas as well.
It is also a proven fact that consumers buy for their reasons
not for yours. Purchasing decisions are also typically based on
emotion and not based on logic. Establish trust and you will win
both the emotional and logical battle.
The e-mails have been terrific so please keep them coming and
let me know how you are doing with building and establishing trust
in all aspects of your life at msnorton@comcast.net and make it
a better than good week.
Michael Norton, a resident of Highlands Ranch, is the former
President of the Zig Ziglar organization and CEO and founder of
www.candogo.com.
