The last couple of weeks I have been helping you with understanding that there are different levels of trust needed for different levels of relationships and the three questions that we need to answer to build trust and influence. Today I would like help you with a concept that I created for people to visualize an easy way to understand what goes into trust. I call it the “Trust Equation” and it has helped many people start building trust easily by understanding the components of trust.
There are four main components of the trust equation and I will break down each of them in the next few blogs so that you can better understand each and excel at building higher levels of trust in 2022. Without trust we can’t make movements, sell, lead, or do anything of substance with others. We need trust.
Without any more delays let’s get into the first component of trust:
Credibility
We have have credibility before people will trust us on a specific topic of concern. This is crucial, but does not mean that we have to go to school to learn about everything and anything. No one knows everything.
Credibility is typically linked to knowledge. A person goes to school, gets a degree and then they are finally credible on a subject. While that is very true, there are other aspects to Credibility that many do not think about. One is effective communication and the other I call “being the bridge.”
I have seen very intelligent individuals lose credibility because they could not effectively communicate their topic. That’s right, just because they have a great deal of knowledge, does not automatically grant them credibility. Everyone needs to be able to communicate effectively!
There are many courses that help on effective communication topics, but the biggest effect on communication is the ability to break complex topics into simple understandable pieces. That means not using really big dictionary words when a simple word can be used. If we can communicate effectively then we can build trust and generate credibility.
Now the other component I mentioned earlier is what I call “being the bridge.” This is something that I learned when I first got into sales. If I was able to connect people needing help in a certain area with those that had the knowledge, I actually built credibility. That’s right because I was bridging the gap for them, then I am deemed a credible source as well.
When we bridge others together, we are associated with credibility because we are associated as one that adds vallue. Adding value is key in trust building and being a bridge will help us gain influence. This is one of the main ways I have been so successful throughout my career. I have built a great deal of credibility by bridging others together.
Bring knowledgeable, communicating effectively, and being the bridge will allow us to become more credible with others. Consistently showing up to add value and help others is the way to growing trust with anyone we interact with.
If you would like more information on building trust reach out and set up a call so we can discuss and I can point you in the right direction!
The next few weeks I will discuss the other variables in the trust equation. Look forward to helping you gain more trust and influence in the weeks to come!
Sincerely,
Kevin Sidebottom
“Businesses wonder why the majority of their sales teams struggle at winning profitable business. I teach your sales team to walk with the customer through the five buying decisions, and in the correct order to generate more sales with higher profits!”
https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Process-Uncovered-Success-Influence/dp/0578421518 - SPU Book
https://kevinsidebottom.kartra.com/page/5AF12 - Sales Process Uncovered Online Training
https://kevinsidebottom.kartra.com/page/68N10 - Trustworthy Online Training