Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! Evan Signature
Evan Carmichael Top Header
Share for a Cause









Is Trust Broken?

Written by: Rebel Brown

Article Overview: Our trust factor seems to be decreasing every day.

Free Download - Do You Think Like Your Customer? By Rebel Brown
Name: Email:

Is Trust Broken?

I was looking at a contract with my publishing house last week. It got me thinking about trust. This contract was lengthy and detailed. Fair, but very detailed. Yet there were still a few things I had to take on trust. I did it. But how many others would? My how times have changed.

When I started consulting, I took client work on a handshake. That's all I needed. You see, I don't want to work with anyone who I can't trust. Today, everyone wants a contract. Mostly to protect themselves in case of litigation.

What a way to start a relationship.

If we live in mistrust today - where will we be tomorrow?

Lost trust impacts all of us. Here's an example. My horse trainer's insurance company refused to allow dogs on her property because they were afraid of lawsuits. Mind you, 70 or so horses live on this property 24 x 7. Up to 6 of them run free during the day at one time - along the road and in front of people's homes. It's horsey heaven! And FYI, my trainer has allowed dogs for twenty years now - without one single problem.

Anyway - the insurance thing sounds like no big deal. Right?

Not to my pup Diego. The ranch is his favorite place to go. I pick up my boots and he begins his doggie dance. Barking and running in circles - joy oozing out of every hair. Now that favorite place is gone. How do I explain to his pure trusting doggie self that because of human mistrust - he loses?

Without trust, we will lose more than our freedom.

The weight of mistrust is heavy on our businesses and our economy. Legal costs are skyrocketing, progress is slowing. Soon we won't be able to do anything without a legal release. Imagine - signing a release to eat at a restaurant, enter a mall, pump our own gas.

A friend called me last night to vent about a legal hassle with marketing materials. Hey company is taking every single marketing piece - from outbound emails to landing pages to spec sheets, through a legal process. The results are a disaster for the business. Every compelling, though factual, word and statement is gone. There's nothing left but pablum now that the legal beagles are done. It's a waste of money and time to use the poor content that's being 'allowed' by the legal teams. It's ridiculous - and such a sad statement of our culture today.

We cannot move forward without trust.

Related Articles
  Ten Ways to Build Client Trust
  A Tryst with Trust
  Dirt on the car
  Don't Be Afraid Your Life Will End?
  8 Pointers on Finding and Fixing Broken Links

Home > Marketing > Rebel Brown > Is Trust Broken
Article Tags: boots, doggie dance, dogs, favorite place, handshake, hassle, hey company, horse trainer, horses, horsey heaven, insurance company, lawsuits, litigation, marketing materials, mistrust, nbsp, publishing house, pup, running in circles, twenty years

About the Author: Rebel Brown
RSS for Rebel's articles - Visit Rebel's website

For over twenty years, Rebel Brown has positioned and repositioned technology companies for high-velocity growth.  She’s recognized for her expertise in business and market strategy, corporate and product positioning and go-to-market launches.

Rebel’s best selling market strategy book, Defy Gravity, is a guide to creating Powerful Market Positions in today’s new economy.

Rebel has been featured in media including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc, Business Insider, Startup Nation, ChangeThis.com, First Business TV, Exceptional People and more.

Visit www.RebelBrown.com for Rebel's thought-provoking and informative videos and articles.


Click here to visit Rebel's website
Dashed Line

More from Rebel Brown
So Your Business Strategy is a Success but the Business Died
But We CANT
Another One Bites the Dust
You Get What You Pay For
Enough with the Insults Already


Related Forum Posts
Re: Essential Leadership skills Re: Essential Leadership skills - Vigilance Trust An ability to DELEGATE
Re: Bad credit guaranteed home loan? Re: Bad credit guaranteed home loan? - Lending money to people with bad credit was one of the biggest things that put our economy under and many lenders out of business. I'd say if you have this opportunity take it now before it goes away. Trust me, if there are any of these programs left (and don't expect a low interest rate if your credit is bad) they won't be around for ever. At ANY interest rate.
Re: How do you earn trust with an online business? Re: How do you earn trust with an online business? - Add VALUE to your target market. How? Well depends. If your business can start by Educating the target market about how your product or Service can add value to their lives. This can be done via Video (hot right now), basic text, audio etc. I've had a lot of success with Video and am using it primarily as a lead generation tool. If done right your Content can add Value and add to your bottom line at the same time while building Trust.
Re: Do Your Prospects / Customers Trust You? Re: Do Your Prospects / Customers Trust You? - This is so true. In the software business, if you don't earn their trust in the first few days they start implementing it, they tend to just give up on using it at all.....even if they may have lost a lot of money. With software, silly glitches can have a huge bearing on your newer clients. Especially if they are brand new to software in general. The more established users understand that when you are constantly building and developing the software, there are going to be glitches along the way. Trust is a must!
Women's buying patterns Women's buying patterns - I'd like to know more about women's buying psychology - what makes them tick? - are they looking for an "experience"? If so, are there important parts of the experience that must exist? - how do you break past Trust barrier? - If you are selling a service what kind of support are women looking for? - do women buy a sampling first to "check out the waters" before they commit to a larger purchase? or do they jump in with both feet?


Recommended Article for You close

  Ten Ways to Build Client Trust

Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.



Featured Article


Bottom Footer
Share for a Cause












Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Popular Articles

Is the iPad useful? One CEO tells all ....

Top 5 Qualities in an Outsourcing Company

Fighting the Saw-Tooth Affect

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.