Gina Branch

Trust. There’s a word we hear almost all the time in today’s business environment. But it’s more than a word. It’s the basis for long-term personal and business relationships.

One of my favorite movie quotes on the subject is when Erin Brockovich is talking to Ed Masry about her bonus at the end of the movie. Erin says, “Trust? You want me to trust you? Don’t use big words you don’t understand.”

Trust in never inherent although a certain level may be associated with a profession or brand. Many people will give a certain level of trust to their doctor or lawyer based upon their years of education, training, and experience. Larger brands are often more trusted than smaller operations. But in the end, trust has to be earned.

I remember originating mortgages several years ago. I worked for a small brokerage firm. As I would initially meet with people, they would be standoffish and apprehensive. As we worked on their loan application and processing, we would get to know each other better. There was always a definite point in time where I knew I had earned their trust. How did I know? They would stop reading the various forms and would simply sign them.

At that point I could have had them sign over their house and they would have done it. I never violated the trust I earned. Why? Because trust is a fragile thing though. Violate that trust once and you’ll never get it back again.

Mary Alice from Desperate Housewives said, “Trust is a fragile thing. Once earned, it affords us tremendous freedom. But once trust is lost, it can be impossible to recover. Of course the truth is, we never know who we can trust. Those we’re closest to can betray us, and total strangers can come to our rescue…”

Trust means doing the right thing even when it’s not profitable. Trust means admitting mistakes. “I’m sorry” and “Let’s see if we can fix this” are what great businesses are all about. We’re all human and we make mistakes. Show me someone who has never failed and I’ll show you someone who has not yet reached their full potential.

Trust is not a tagline or a marketing strategy. Trust should be a core value of any successful business.

This post is a submission to the ActiveRain / Adobe EchoSign Trust Contest. I could possibly win a prize. You can find out about the contest by clicking here.