Who are the top three people you trust?
I bet there is a significant level of comfort and reliability inherent in those relationships. They are people you can count on. They have your back.
As coaches, we know that building trust is the hallmark of a successful engagement. Trust enables coaches to push people past their limits while providing a safety net as they reach for their goals. But how do you build trust when you are marketing to people you don’t know? It’s challenging to build trust when all you have is your marketing messages. You must get someone’s attention, maintain their interest, and build their desire to learn more, all while creating a path for them to come to know, like, and eventually trust you.
Trust is a function of both character and competence–BEING as well as DOING. Let’s look at the key components for creating an environment that allows trust to flourish.
BE CREDIBILE: Your credibility boils down to your integrity, capabilities, and results. First, you must get your message out. Being seen and heard is key to building credibility. It establishes you in the minds of others as someone who can solve their problem. Get in front of the people you feel are the best fit for you and offer them a ‘free’ taste of your character and abilities, so they can experience what it would be like to work with you. Let your integrity and capacity to achieve results speak for you. As they begin to see the positive results from their interactions with you, your credibility builds.
BE PRESENT: Your listening skills, language, passion, and knowledge all contribute towards creating presence. We know being present is the foundation for creating intimacy and trust. We have all had an experience where we felt connected to and inspired by someone we just met because they were being authentic with us. While writing and speaking can pave the way towards building client trust, it all “clicks” when you are actively engaged with someone. You know you are present when both parties are at ease, comfortable, and interested in the conversation. Being present means you are listening FOR them and TO them, and contributing to the exchange from a place of knowledge and passion — not just talking about you and your services.
BE CONSISTENT: Reliability, reputation, and consistency are cornerstones of being trusted in the marketplace. Clear and confident communication demonstrates these qualities to others – You have to say what you mean and mean what you say. Simple. Direct. True. Inconsistency in your follow through or execution will undermine all your effort. Your actions must match your commitment and you should strive to “over deliver” every time.
BE INTENTIONAL: Intention is having an agenda. In the case of marketing, the agenda is that your client reaches their desired outcome. When you genuinely want others to win and enjoy helping them do that, you inspire authentic trust. What you say and how you act is the manifestation of your agenda. The behavior that best establishes your intentions and inspires trust is acting in the best interest of others. When people know we have their back, they will naturally trust us.
Trust does not exist in a vacuum. It is only when you are CREDIBLE, PRESENT, CONSISTENT and INTENTIONAL that you generate the flow that inspires people to work with you. When you are conscious to these qualities and manifest them in your interactions with others, it creates a fertile ground for trust to flourish.