In today’s competitive business world, trust is critical for a successful business and for successful relationships. I firmly believe that trust is the main ingredient in making any relationship work. Without trust in a relationship, a prospect will never become a valued client. And without lasting trust, a client will leave.

So I ask you – are you demolishing trust in your business or organization? Here are nine (9) questions to ask to determine if you are demolishing trust in your business.

1. Do you tell people what they should know, do, or think too soon? Are you making any kind of recommendations without getting to know your prospect or your client needs first? This is like a doctor writing a prescription without a diagnosis.

2. Are you clearly discussing and defining the expectations in the relationship? If you show your prospect or client that you genuinely care about the future of the relationship it will build trust. And conversely, if you do not exhibit care and concern, it can diminish trust.

3. Do you knowingly tell untruths or give people only part of the truth? This will demolish trust in a heartbeat.

4. Do you have and live by a code of ethics within the company? If you violate sound business ethics, trust will evaporate quickly.

5. Do you outwardly show your feeling of being overwhelmed or come across that way over the phone or in meetings? Prospects and clients will quickly lose confidence and trust when this behavior is exhibited.

6. Do you display an attitude of apathy around your prospects or clients? This is another sure-fire way to turn off prospects and clients.

7. Do you find yourself always agreeing with someone's statement and then following it up with the word "but?" Guess what – you have just eradicated and invalidated your agreement with what was said. A suggestion might be for you to try substituting the work "and" for but and see how much better it will be perceived and accepted for you and for them.

8. Do you procrastinate and not follow up when you say you would - regardless of the reason? Your “word” will mean nothing if you do not follow-up. If you promised to get back to a prospect or client with a piece of information and you don't have it yet, call them to let them know that and commit to a new date to expect what you promised.

9. Are you not accepting responsibility and not holding yourself accountable? Shifting the blame to some one or thing other than you will bust the trust of prospects and clients in an instant.

If you answered YES to these questions, you are on the ‘fast track” to demolishing trust in your business and you need to change your behavior very quickly. Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach wants you to be a person that builds trust rather than a person that demolishes trust in your company. Truly successful businesses have people that follow the principles to create trust. If you want to build trust in your business, and want to get some guidance on how a strategic thinking business coach can help you to do that, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his website at www.businesscoach4u.com or by email at jgecoach@aol.com

Author's Bio: 

J. Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, “Glenn’s Guiding Lines – Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” and has published more than 275 articles on business.