13 Ways to Earn Trust. Trust is how you build a brand, how you… | by Carson Pipher | Jun, 2023

Trust is how you build a brand, how you network successfully, and how you build a powerful and influential reputation.

1. Practice what you preach.

Better yet, only preach what you practice. If you ask people to commit to something they are more likely to commit if they see that you are committed and you are getting results.

Preach what you practice.

2. Be reliable.

Reliability demands consistency. You must consistently be successful. Not home run success but small successes. Consistently show up on time. Consistently check in with the people you work with. Consistently show up with a positive attitude.

Reliable people are predictable and people trust predictability.

3. Know what people value.

You will know what people value by how they delegate their time. Actions speak louder than words. If someone values hard work they will be the hardest worker in the room. If someone values efficiency, they will create systems that cut time out of tasks. If someone values loyalty they will be furious when there is even a hint of disloyalty among the group. If someone values financial security they will chase money and be fugal. If someone values their family they will compromise their work to spend time with their family.

Know what people value and work to help them honor their values. No one wants to work with someone that makes them feel as though they are compromising their values for the sake of the job at hand.

4. Support people.

Once you know what people value and what they care about, you can support them in living within their values. You can give them permission to leave work early so they can pick their kid up from school. You can show up for them when they have a big presentation. You can go with them to the hospital when their wife is sick. Most importantly you can ask them what support looks like and then support their needs.

5. Be trustworthy.

When someone shares something with you do not share it with others. When someone is speaking bad about a coworker or teammate change the subject — never chime in.

Pay attention to what you say, do not lie, and if you do lie, own it and apologize. Be trustworthy.

6. Ask for a favor.

“He that once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.” Benjamin Franklin

In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin tell the story of how he needed the political support of someone in the general assembly. In order to gain this man’s backing and trust, Franklin asked the man if he could borrow one of the man’s prized books. The man indulged Franklin who then returned the book, after a short time, with a letter of gratitude. From then on, Franklin had the backing and trust of this powerful man.

When we ask a favor of someone, they suddenly become invested in our success and they are more inclined to help us and trust us in the future.

7. Time.

Time is our most valuable resource.

Time is non-refundable.

When we offer someone our time we give them something that is irreplaceable. Go the extra mile and give someone your time. Time is an investment that when compounded earns tremendous trust dividends.

8. Offer constructive and precise feedback.

Dr. Susan Birdsey studies and researches the concept of principals offering their teachers feedback. In her doctorial thesis, she comes to the conclusion that offering teachers precise and constructive feedback enhances the relationship between principal and teacher.

Feedback builds trust.

I notice this when chaoaching. I used to be hesitant to correct athletes, thinking they might be offended or discouraged; however, I found that athletes crave feedback. They want to know how they can get better and when they see you take the time to hold them accountable and offer them feedback, you earn their trust.

Feedback is an investment in others and when other people feel that you are invested in their success, they are more inclined to trust you.

9. Do not offer help.

Offering people help makes people feel defensive. “I can do it myself” is the standardized independent American mindset. Instead, offer people support or service, but not “help.”

Rather than asking how can I help you? Say, “let me know if there is any way I can support you.” Support implies I am there with you, help implies you cannot do it on your own but with me you can.

Offer support not help.

10. Ask others for help.

Just as being offered a helping hand makes us feel defensive because it implies that the other person needs you in order to accomplish what they set out to do, so asking for help makes people feel empowered.

When we ask for help we extend to another person the idea that they have the power and ability to help us. We all want to feel needed, intelligent, and appreciated. Asking for help extends these feelings to another person.

Furthermore, asking for help is vulnerable. Vulnerability is the foundation of trust. Be the first to be vulnerable and you imply that the other person is worthy of your trust; the other person then reciprocates the trust you have given to them.

11. I don’t know.

If you do not know the answer to a question or to a problem say I don’t know. We have all met someone who blabbers on about something they clearly know nothing about. Do not be a blabberer — say I don’t know.

When you say I don’t know, you make people will feel safe when it comes to asking you questions. When you admit that you do not know something, they associate you will honest answers.

12. Let them do the talking.

People do not trust you because of who you are, they trust you because of how they feel when they are around you. When people talk about themselves to you, you are building trust. Ask the questions and listen intently.

You do not have to say a word in order to earn trust, simply let them do the talking. The more they talk, the more trust is being built.

13. Always follow through on what you say.

When you say something you must do, it or you must acknowledge that you said it and that you changed your mind. Do not simply change your mind with no explanation.

People think trust must be earned in big acts but the truth is it is earned by the small consistencies of following through on the things that we say we are going to do. Actions always speak louder than words. Weather we are conscious of it or not, people are tallying who they can trust and who they can’t trust.

Trust is the gateway to influence.

Proving that you are trustworthy has little to do with spouting off words and more to do with listening, asking, actions, and consistency.