Maybe Trust

It is human nature to question. New people, strange environments, new foods, and new products are among the endless number of items that are cause for pause. People have a tendency to be skeptical when faced with new situations, and only develop trust after a period of assessment and acceptance.

It appears to be a natural phenomenon; humans, as physical beings, are wired for survival. These survival instincts cause an immediate assessment regarding the level of trust that can be afforded in any personal, business, or customer service situation. When a new situation is encountered, the automatic response is to ask the question “Is this safe for my body, my family, and my values?”

As people assess trust, what are they really looking for? Safety is certainly a factor, but upon deeper inspection, there are other distinctions that warrant further scrutiny. For instance, in dealing with the issue of trusting others at work or on the home front, one may ask the following questions:

“Do this person’s words match their actions?”
“Does the person I am speaking with have a hidden agenda?”
“Is this person honest?”

There are also different ways in which people display trust. One can give their complete trust over to another; it can be offered in a grounded fashion, after doing one’s homework and getting to know them. It can also be naïve trust, offered blindly, which generally leads to later regrets and further skepticism when faced with new situations.

The question for people in business, especially those in sales and customer service, is how to build a long-term, business relationship rooted on mutual trust with prospects and customers who are skeptical, have likely felt deceived in past business dealings, and are in survival mode. Here is the answer: creating a long term relationship built on complete trust, begins with the very first conversation with a prospect or customer. Skillfully using language, companies, sales people, customer service representatives, and service advisors can reach out to their customers and prospects, causing those people to believe that they can “maybe trust” the person with whom they are speaking.

Maybe Trust is a key distinction because it represents a moment in time where the possibility of ‘long term trust’ shows up as an assessment by the customer.

Business professionals who know how to create a mood of “maybe trust” in the first few seconds on the telephone and/or in person will excel in the domain of sales. It is within this mood of “maybe trust” that people are all willing to take a small risk on a new product or service. Then, and only then, after establishing this foundation, can the relationship grow into one of ongoing contact forged in long-term trust.

Handling Challenging Conversations

Years ago, I worked with a staffing agency. Each day, I interviewed potential employees, many of whom had difficulty finding stable employment for a variety of reasons. I also was in charge of training these individuals, counseled them while they were on assignment, and, when it was warranted, terminated their employment. The job was not without its perks, though difficult conversations were an every day reality. Some of the actual conversations that occurred while I was on this job were amongst the most difficult I will likely face in my life:

"Please don't fire me. My sister just died and I have to support her children."

"If I don't get a job today, I am coming back here with a baseball bat and you are going into the hospital."

"I need a temporary office worker. I only want to hire a white woman."

"By the way, I didn't put it on my application, but I killed my sister when I was 14. I'm not sure if it will show in my record since I was a minor."

One of the most difficult parts of a job, any job, is handling difficult conversations. These conversations could be with angry customers, with employees who are not reaching their full potential, or any number of situations we are faced each and every day that can cause discomfort for all parties.

For some, it is natural to confront a challenging conversation with excuse making, laying blame, or, in extreme cases, even fabricating stories to placate the person on the other end of the dialog. This helps no one, does nothing to build trust, and only delays an inevitable backlash. By staying calm and responding with honest words and action, even the most challenging conversations can be handled effectively.

Naturally, it takes a great deal of practice to master the art of communicating effectively when faced with difficult circumstances, which is why Molloy Business Development has developed programs specifically for handling challenging conversations. These programs instruct companies and individuals on how to build confidence when faced with these challenges and how to address concerns effectively. And because the Molloy program is implemented concurrent to the work day and in real time, employees can begin using the methodology immediately.

Contact the Molloy Business Development Group today to find out how we can help you handle even the most challenging conversations you will face with both customers and employees.