GrowMap

Map Your Path To Grow Your Business

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • G.A.S.P
  • Press
  • Portfolio
  • GrowMap Services
  • PostsComments

Building Relationship Trust: Tell the Truth in Business or Lose Trust [Covey Videos]

June 11, 2013 By Gail Gardner 19 Comments

Table of Contents

  • Relationship Trust
    • Building Trust
      • Gail Gardner
      • Latest posts by Gail Gardner (see all)

The Speed Of Trust Book 9780743297301Relationship Trust

Little white lies. Everyone tells them to smooth things over and prevent scenes they would rather avoid. But I often see businesses and relationships fail because of issues where if they had told the truth it might have been painful – but not lethal to business relationships.

Not long ago the owner of a cutting horse ranch fired his ranch manager and moved all his horses to another of his farms. Why? Because he lied and claimed he didn’t know how a horse got hurt instead of telling the owner the truth. When you have horses, accidents happen. Covering up the cause will lose you an owner – or a job.

The same thing happens if you’re a consultant, or a freelancer, or managing someone’s blog. Even though lying is often more expeditious and less painful in the short run, it will ruin you in the long term because you will lose trust. And trust is VERY hard to recover.

Stephen M.R. Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People has a newer book called The Speed of Trust. This short video is an excerpt of his ideas on trust and an example of how trust doubled one street vendor’s business:

For consultants, I strongly recommend under-promising and over-delivering to build more trust into your relationships. Most often, your clients will not understand:

  • how complex what you are doing is
  • that it takes much longer to deliver quality
  • have unrealistic expectations

Scope creep will eat your lunch. Dishonest clients will pretend to not understand, hoping you will give them more work than you billed. Just as you need to be trustworthy, I believe in firing bad clients immediately to make room for good ones.

Read my post Are You REALLY Serious About Growing Your Business Or One of the Many Who THINK They Are? for more on scope creep and consulting.

Building Trust

When we trust someone, we have less stress in our lives. Trust is essential to our success in both business and personal relationships. And the key is clear and consistent communication.

Face your challenges head on. If there is a problem, say so. If you are too busy trying to handle issues, send short status messages so your clients know you are still working on resolutions.

The worst thing you can do – and what many do – is to stop communicating. Do this and people will assume the worst. What they tell themselves is going on will be worse than the truth. It is a cowardly way out that adults need to outgrow.

We have to overcome conditioning we may have been subjected to by bad managers or abusive parents. Many actually teach their children and employees to lie by punishing them for telling the truth. That is their mistake. Don’t make it yours by failing to grow into someone courageous enough to do the right thing.

Learning to communicate clearly and building trust will improve  your life. A good place to start it this talk by Stephen Covey on Leading at the Speed of Trust:

As Covey says, when trust is low, speed goes down and cost goes up. When trust is high, speed increases and cost declines.

What can you do to improve the trust in your relationships? Eliminate those you can’t trust and you will shorten the amount of time it takes to get successful.

The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profileMy Pinterest profileMy Tumblr blogMy YouTube channel

Gail Gardner

Small Business Marketing Strategist at GrowMap
Gail Gardner is the founder of GrowMap.com. She is a Small Business Marketing Strategist who mentors small businesses, bloggers, and freelancers. After 23 years in the field with IBM and 5.5 years managing AdWords accounts, her focus shifted to small business marketing strategy. GrowMap.com is listed by Cision as a Top 100 Site for Marketers and has received three Small Business Influencer Awards from Small Business Trends. Named by D&B a Top 50 SMB Influencer on Twitter, you can follow Gail @GrowMap and on LinkedIn.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profileMy Pinterest profileMy Tumblr blogMy YouTube channel

Latest posts by Gail Gardner (see all)

  • Free Mentoring: How to Use the Inexpensive CRM Bigin to Increase Income - December 9, 2020
  • How to Create a Blog to Promote Your Services - December 9, 2020
  • Influencer Marketing Guide For Maximum Business Growth - November 26, 2020
Tweet23
Share1
Share3
Pin1
Share
Share
Pocket
Flip
28 Shares
« Creating a Custom SEO Plan for Your Small Business
Buy, Sell, and Discover Online Marketing Packages with Doublelinx: List Your Services; Find Service Providers »

Filed Under: Small Business Advice Tagged With: building trust, business relationships, relationship trust, small business advice

Comments

  1. Kate says

    October 4, 2013 at 6:37 pm

    I agree with you. Trust is the most important factor. In my case trust is damaged in my job when boss ignore staff complain. Later when he comming back to me, he never rebuild trust again.

    Reply
  2. Clayton Walker says

    August 16, 2013 at 9:30 pm

    Trust is the bedrock of successful interpersonal relationships . Trust is easier to break than to build. Once your interpersonal relationships are plagued by suspicion and fear, trust is difficult to establish.

    Reply
  3. Mukesh says

    June 24, 2013 at 7:48 am

    Building a strong healthy relationship between two people takes work, but it also … Telling the truth enough becomes a habit and there is nothing to fear when the … When trust is lost in a relationship, more often than not, that relationship is over. Thanking you 🙂
    Mukesh would love you to read ..Most Essential WordPress Plugins List for 2013My Profile

    Reply
  4. Mukesh says

    June 20, 2013 at 2:02 am

    Building a strong healthy relationship between two people takes work, but it also … Telling the truth enough becomes a habit and there is nothing to fear when the … When trust is lost in a relationship, more often than not, that relationship is over.

    May be my last comment was captured by akismat 😉

    Reply
  5. diana lynnwood says

    June 18, 2013 at 6:32 am

    Not only in business but in every where every place in you life you need trust some people make trust in years and lose it just in a minute. web world is a place where all works done on trust base it gives you everything but can take all also.
    diana lynnwood would love you to read ..Boiler Service & RepairMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Nadeem says

    June 17, 2013 at 3:34 am

    nice article about relationships, its very essential for everyone to know this. thanks for sharing this information

    Reply
  7. Mukeshkmr says

    June 15, 2013 at 8:43 am

    Building a strong healthy relationship between two people takes work, but it also … Telling the truth enough becomes a habit and there is nothing to fear when the … When trust is lost in a relationship, more often than not, that relationship is over.

    Reply
  8. Sondra says

    June 14, 2013 at 5:14 pm

    Communication is such a critical skill but also underutilized. Keeping your client updated is an important part of the component of trust.
    Sondra would love you to read ..Free Report: 12 Tips To Help You Get More Sales From Your Classified AdsMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Robert Koening says

    June 14, 2013 at 2:20 pm

    The 7 Secrets of Highly Effective People books are great for information about how to best execute business relationships involving marketing ventures. I appreciate the Covey videos and information you posted here. Thanks!

    Reply
  10. Nick Ortiz says

    June 13, 2013 at 5:49 pm

    Establishing and building trust is also important for attorneys and financial planners. Clients do not immediately know whether to trust you, so you must give them indications of trust they recognize. Showing you are a Member of the Better Business Bureau is a good example, or that you are Board Certified is another. The more evidence you provide clients at the beginning of the relationship, the more they feel they can trust you.

    Reply
  11. Elliot Dennis says

    June 13, 2013 at 11:23 am

    A business is built on the character of those behind it. Besides wanting to trust people or businesses that they are reputable and honest, we are selves should want to walk around with a character of being able to be trusted. I certainly want and have worked for a reputation that is straightforward and always honest, and in doing so know that however my success is measured, it was done the right way.
    Elliot Dennis would love you to read ..How do Personal Injury claims and Workers Compensation claims work together?My Profile

    Reply
  12. harshi says

    June 13, 2013 at 4:53 am

    Building Customer trust is another factor to online success. As builiding customer trust helps you to gain offline and online both refrall trafic !

    Reply
  13. Ambika Choudhary Mahajan says

    June 12, 2013 at 5:43 pm

    Very well written article. While selling affiliate products without adequate research would not amount to rosket science, it is your duty to let hin know about all the pros and cons of doing so in a hurry.
    I once bought a cream for tattoo removal for $17, using an affiliate link on my friend’s blog.
    Though my small sale would have meant an easy $2-5 for him, I do not visit his bog any more after seeing that the product I’d bought from there had failed to live up to its claims.
    In Affiliate marketing, reputation is everything. So, take care to choose your products careful.

    Reply
  14. Darnell Jackson says

    June 12, 2013 at 10:06 am

    This is excellent Gail,

    You know it’s like a Saturday Night Live sketch out there these days.

    I see more and more businesses using bait and switch tactics all the time RUINING TRUST then they wonder why they’re struggling.

    Customers shop with who they like and no one likes someone you can’t trust to give you a fair deal.

    This starts with honesty. Please folks if you advertised $25 sell the thing for $25 stop trying to jam people for service fees processing fees and fee fees.
    Darnell Jackson would love you to read ..Grow Your Audience by building your base [5M 19]My Profile

    Reply
  15. Marcie says

    June 12, 2013 at 9:52 am

    This is SUPER timely as I am currently working on a small business communications package and was really praying for direction. I want to help small business owners connect with their clients through newsletters and blogs, and I needed at least three benefits. You gave me my answer and I truly appreciate you!

    Reply
    • growmap says

      June 12, 2013 at 12:25 pm

      Hi Marcie,

      Great to see you here. Perhaps that is why God commissioned this particular post yesterday. Lots of other things I was working on when He did. Communication is so very important – and one of the hardest things to do well.

      Reply
  16. Andy Nathan says

    June 12, 2013 at 8:36 am

    Gail,

    Some of the most painful business discussions in my life have been the most productive. Not all of them turn out the way I want, but it is better than not knowing and waiting and wondering and clamming up that something worse might happen in the future.

    Andy

    Reply
  17. Edgar Williamson says

    June 12, 2013 at 10:51 am

    Of course in any walks of life, trust is a meaningful trait every person must possess. In business if every person involved is trustful then most probably they will build a successful honest company. Because trust can simply make or break the business in one single action.

    Reply
  18. Mike Hart says

    June 12, 2013 at 9:25 am

    I have more experience about it but not to share, when i thought, i sad.
    Nice sharing, nice to meet you.
    Share more and take more replies, thanks.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts
You can add a link to follow you on twitter if you put your username in this box.
Only needs to be added once (unless you change your username). No http or @

Search

UPC CODES don't fall for fakes

Categories

Recent Posts

  • 4 Ways To Improve Your Email Marketing Campaigns
  • What You Need to Think About When Building Your WordPress Site
  • The Importance of Relaxation When Starting a New Company
  • Stay Afloat: Reduce Monthly Expenses Using These Tips
  • Free Mentoring: How to Use the Inexpensive CRM Bigin to Increase Income
Don't Miss Your Path to Growth!
Enter your email to receive new
blog posts:

Did MOZ Drop Your Site’s DA?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv_cL50MpZA

Popular Posts

What You Need to Think About When Building Your WordPress SiteWhat You Need to Think About When Building Your WordPress Site
The Importance of Relaxation When Starting a New CompanyThe Importance of Relaxation When Starting a New Company
4 Ways To Improve Your Email Marketing Campaigns4 Ways To Improve Your Email Marketing Campaigns
Free Mentoring: How to Use the Inexpensive CRM Bigin to Increase IncomeFree Mentoring: How to Use the Inexpensive CRM Bigin to Increase Income
Influencer Marketing Guide For Maximum Business GrowthInfluencer Marketing Guide For Maximum Business Growth
How to Create a Blog to Promote Your ServicesHow to Create a Blog to Promote Your Services
Stay Afloat: Reduce Monthly Expenses Using These TipsStay Afloat: Reduce Monthly Expenses Using These Tips

Greatest eCommerce Competitive Risks to Small Businesses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=bmlJmDYaax0

Serpstat: What it Does

https://youtu.be/rjIfKdIWk7M

GrowMap Policies

  • Disclosure Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • GrowMap Guest Blogging Guidelines

Connect With Growmap

growmap on twitter growmap on g plus growmap on linkedin growmap on pinterest growmap on facebook growmap on stumbleupon growmap on skype

Copyright © 2008-2021 Growmap · Centric Mobile Responsive Theme by StudioPress · Genesis Framework · Site maintaned By MarketingTilt

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

GrowMap
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side. Read our complete privacy policy.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.