Do you know what it takes to build trust quickly?.

Stephen Covey’s book, The Speed of Trust, is something that everyone should read. It’s full of great nuggets.

In our society, we seem to be getting more and more distrustful because we’re bombarded with emails warning us about the latest Nigerian scam or how thieves steal your identity. Watch the news for 30 minutes and you’ll want to cry. Unfortunately, as we become more and more skeptical and put up defenses around ourselves, we only perpetuate the problem. Covey points out that in order to gain trust, you first have to extend trust.

But, imagine a world where no one trusts others. A vicious cycle begins whereby walls go up, trust isn’t extended because of skepticism so trust isn’t returned and a downward spiral begins. The good news is that you can break the cycle by first extending trust. When you meet a prospect, offer to waive the deposit, saying that you trust them. Eliminate the normal paperwork that’s involved to apply for credit. When hiring someone, skip the background checks. That might be the first step toward getting people to trust you. It’s all part of the Rule of Reciprocity. The choice is yours.

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