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Earn Trust – The Formula to Help You Get There

Earning Trust is the most important thing we can do.  Without trust, a superbly designed, executed, and analyzed study is meaningless.  Without trust it will not be accepted and acted upon.  Here’s the formula for generating trust . . .

The formula for trust

How about a formula for trust for us analytical types?  David Maister in his book  The Trusted Advisor  gives us this formula:

T =   C + R + I
S

Where:

T = Trust
C = Credibility
R = Reliability
I  = Intimacy
S = Self-orientation

Credibility and reliability are not enough

Credibility and reliability are what we typically go to when thinking about how to build trust.  Do you have the expertise?  Do you have the experience?  Will you do what you say?  Of course these are important.  But you might also say that these are cost of entry.  On their own, they do not generate trust.  We have to look further.

Intimacy generates higher levels of trust

Intimacy refers to the ability to have empathy; to see other’s point of view.  It is being authentic and open.  It represents the extent to which others feel they can confide in you and feel safe in doing so.  This is what moves an interaction from a transaction to a relationship.

When conducting research for big dollar B2B, we have found that this dimension is highly correlated with loyalty and growth.  Without this, the relationship tends to be viewed as simply transactional.

Touting our skill or accreditation doesn’t work—because it’s not really about us

When we focus on our skills, when we focus on how good we are, we can damage trust.  Take another look at that equation.  Notice that “self-orientation” is in the denominator.  The more we focus on ourselves and not our client, the more we run the risk of damaging trust.

Now don’t get me wrong, we need the technical skills.  Personally, I enjoy “geeking out” a bit and digging into a method.  But we have to view this as the cost of entry when it comes to trust.  We need to understand that trust is an inherently emotional construct.  We need to focus on the client.  It’s not about us.  It’s not about demonstrating how much skill we have.  It’s not about showing how smart we are.  It is about doing all we can to help our client.

The following are things we might do that fall into the “S” category:

  • We want to look like the expert – we make it about us.
  • We don’t have the time to really understand the issue so we recommend a standardized approach that we can do quickly.
  • We have a desire to be right or to look smart.
  • We have a lot of other projects so we select the quick and easy path to execute.
  • We try to move off a project too quickly because we under bid the hours – before the client gets what they need.

How to overcome self-orientation

The following are a few things we can do to overcome the big “S.”

  • Ask a lot of questions about the issue – make sure you really understand it.
  • Restate the issue and the decision the client faces to ensure you truly understand.
  • Do not jump too quickly to a solution or methodology; even if a methodology is apparent.
  • Ask to see and read other background material so that you can better understand the situation – and read it – perhaps ask questions about it.

Try posting this formula on your wall and think through how you can leverage each aspect.

As always, feel free to comment.  I’m interested in what you have to say.

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