The Crux Of Trust

Garth Beyer

You can do something wrong or make a mistake and it might eat a bit at trust, but for the most part, the people worth working with will acknowledge that you’ve had a learning moment and you’ll be better because of it. Hell, it might even build trust with them.

Poor proactive communication, though, erodes trust faster than anything else.

Here are a few quick examples. They’re personal.

  1. I proactively reached out to a distributor and followed up three times (the second and third time with more CC’s to increase visibility and to hopefully get things moving) to get a beer truck for a neighborhood event. After the fourth time, they finally admitted they hadn’t asked their events team and that the beer trucks were now fully booked for the night I needed them.
  2. There was an equipment supplier that it took three emails to get a response from (this is also your friendly reminder to put an auto-out-of-office email if you are on vacation…). He cancelled our meeting the morning we were supposed to meet. We rescheduled and he not only didn’t show up – he didn’t call, text or email about missing it. I wasn’t rude in my follow up email, assuming he would be in the hospital as a valid reason for not communicating. He shrugged it off like it was normal. When I asked why I should re-trust him, he had no argument. Ouch.
  3. Another furniture rep I worked with got six emails from me over the span of seven months asking for an update on the delivery of something I ordered. Not a single time did he proactively tell me there was any kind of delay.

I could continue to give examples, but here’s the thing: I’ve found other folks to work with. Ones that I’ve given thousands of dollars to, referrals, praise and appreciation. Some have even become relatively close friends.

So, I’m writing this for both you and me: Some people will lose your trust. There’s more, better people out there.

And if you’re someone that others are putting their trust in? Be the “better people out there” person.

Stay Positive & Put Your Energy Where You Actually Get A Return

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Garth Beyer
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