Trust = Confidence

Trust is defined as a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. In his bestselling book Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey defines it simply as confidence. Recently, I had a conversation with a friend who represents many of the most popular speakers and authors in the country. As he discussed one of his more popular clients, he emphasized the trust his audience had in him. Trust is a pivotal part of your business and sales process. You may have heard it said that trust is hard to get but easy to lose. Furthermore, it is much harder to get back. Distrust equals suspicion. Suspicion causes tension and gaining commitment can be very difficult in a tense environment. Mr. Covey lays the foundation for trust with The 4 Cores of Credibility. The first two of these cores represent a person's character. The remaining two represent competence Integrity: Basically means honesty. It means walking your talk. It's having the courage to act in accordance with your values and beliefs. Intent: This has to do with our motives, our agendas and our resulting behavior. Trust grows when we genuinely care not only for ourselves, but also for the people we interact with, lead, or serve. Capabilities: These are the abilities we have that inspire confidence, our talents, attitudes, skills and knowledge. They are the means we have to produce results. Results: This refers to our track record, our performance, our getting the right things done. When we achieve the results we promised, we establish a positive reputation of performing and our reputation precedes us. Trust is the first step and largest part of a successful sales process. It cannot be skipped or taken for granted. The health of your business and future sales opportunities depend on it. The moment there is suspicion about a person's motives, everything he does becomes tainted ~ Mahatma Gandhi Have a great week! Pierce