SALESWORKS GROUP ASIA Senior Promoting Owner and Product Head Terrence Tey provides his insights into why trust is very important in building strong working relationships with colleagues in face-to-face marketing.
As Ernest Hemingway said: “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
What is trust? I define trust with one word; confidence. I believe trust is a fundamental foundation of a relationship with colleagues. Trust can take years to earn, yet seconds to lose. I’m a firm believer in trusting a person before gaining trust from them.
So why do I choose to trust the other person first? That boils down to transparency. When I trust someone first and they understand that I am good, honest, and reliable, I gain the respect of that person and build confidence in the relationship.
I always follow these golden rules to help build trust.
- Honour your commitments: this is really important and it all comes down to doing what you say you will do. It shows you are honourable and are committed to the relationship.
- Be open and honest: communicate clearly and with integrity and it will show you have no hidden agenda.
- Reliable and dependable: this should be a priority and try to be consistent in your behaviour.
- Devote time to the relationship: do this by getting to know your colleagues and it’s important to show a genuine interest both personally and professionally.
Why is trust so very important? Without trust, there is no relationship.
In my organisation, I’ve built a culture of trust by empowering my team to step up and push themselves to their limits. As the organisation grew steadily, people felt more empowered and strong relationships were built.
You build trust through your actions and you need to bear in mind that trust is delicate. Once trust is broken, it is like a crumpled piece of paper that can never be perfect again.
Terrence Tey is Senior Promoting Owner and Product Head for Asia based in Singapore and Malaysia.