Manageable Tools

Self-guided exercises to inspire positive change.

Building Trust Quickly

The evidence suggests that the longer we know people or brands, the more we trust them. A study of the 100 most trusted brands in the USA found that only two were created in the past 20 years. Time is of the essence when it comes to trust, but what if we don’t have decades to build trust? We need hacks.

The evidence suggests that the longer we know people or brands, the more we trust them. A study of the 100 most trusted brands in the USA found that only two were created in the past 20 years. Time is of the essence when it comes to trust, but what if we don’t have decades to build trust? We need hacks.

Rather than grand gestures, research shows that trust develops through a series of small actions that consistently demonstrate care or belonging.

This sense of togetherness is the most important of the three main components of trust. We need to feel that someone is acting in our best interests. The next most important component is Integrity. We trust people and brands that do what they say or deliver what’s promised. If there’s a problem, we trust those who acknowledge their fault and put things right. The third component is Credibility, or the ability to do something well and in keeping with expectations.

Assuming we act in line with these three expectations, here are three hacks to speed up trust building.