What Does Trust Mean?
Trust, according to Dictionary.com. means: “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence”
That seems to me, to be a reasonable definition. What do you think?
When doing business with someone, the trust factor is extremely important.
Sometimes we find someone or a company to work with that has been highly recommended, but other times, we find companies or people through networking face to face or online.
A good idea is to interface with that person or company representative face to face if possible. After a meeting with them, you will either feel comfortable and confident or can’t wait to run as fast and far away as possible. If it’s not possible to meet face to face then have a video chat via one of the many video chat apps available. Seeing a person’s face and manner can usually give you an indication of what that person is like. Of course, some very shy people may appear awkward, but check other more important qualities, like appearance of truthfulness, forthrightness, caring, responsible, etc.
In the meetings and events business trust is extremely important as is, of course, the quality of work, professionalism, dedication, attitude.
Beth Cooper-Zobott shared the following with me:
I think trust is built over time. It is really dependent on the emotional intelligence of each party. The people I trust in business are those who
- Act rationally when under pressure.
- Listen before responding so as to hear the entirety of a situation before they answer.
- Demonstrate loyalty – they don’t throw people under the bus or blame others.
- Accept criticism and feedback so that they can improve (we all have areas in which we need training, assistance or input from others: no one is perfect; everyone has something to learn).
- Are willing to make admit to mistakes early on in a situation, so that the team can provide input and solutions.
- Llook for the good in others, they don’t gossip, they don’t backbite.
- Are well spoken, meet your eye when they address you and “walk the talk”: they don’t expect special treatment.
I’ve been in the industry a long time. I can sometimes be gullible in that I expect people to act as professionally as I do and to show as much dedication and responsibility to their job as I do. I have been burned when counterparts have not lived up to a high standard of professionalism. But, I’d rather be burned for expecting too much of someone, than to have someone live down to a low expectation of them.