Whether you are a business leader or a college student, you need to know the value of building trust in a relationship.
Trust is an important element in building intimate relationships, but it’s even more crucial as you form professional connections. According to an article on NationalJurist.com, professional relationships based on mutual trust thrive better than relationships that are simply transactional.
Knowing how to form partnerships grounded on transparency and empathy can go a long way. Apart from helping you achieve personal goals, building trust provides you with a hedge against future uncertainty. Here’s how you can get started:
1- Be prepared with the right mindset
Start from the inside. If you want to inspire trust in a business partnership, you should already have a clear picture of what you want to achieve. More than the material benefits you get, you need to acknowledge what the other side wants to gain from the partnership. If you focus too much on your potential gains, then you are not yet ready to reach out. Don’t dive in with a mindset that’s focused more on your personal gains than on a desire to build a relationship.
Your desire for a connection needs to be genuine. Show a willingness to help others realize their goals, so make it a priority to see them succeed. You should also demonstrate sensitivity to cultural practices, especially if you are meeting someone from another country. If it’s a Japanese executive, for instance, you will need to be mindful of Japanese business etiquette.
2- Learn to be a good communicator
Your communication skills can make or break an opportunity to form a connection. Language is the foundation of all relationships, so having the ability to communicate your desires, goals, and intentions helps inspire confidence in the other party.
Oftentimes, it’s better to be clear with what you want to express. You are more likely to draw people in if you use the right words at the right time. It also helps to know how you can express your thoughts in a concrete manner without sounding blunt. Start by being a good listener and be constructive with your comments. Let the person know that you are not keeping anything from them.
3- Stay true to your principles
Some people mistake the need to build trust with the need to make compromises. In business and any other professional field, you will come across individuals and organizations that expect a specific answer or action from you. Being agreeable doesn’t always show your desire to build. If anything, it only shows how easily you can change your views.
Letting others know you stand on a set of principles speaks volumes of how trustworthy you are. Demonstrating business ethics is the cornerstone of professional relationships. If you think doing a certain favor doesn’t match your ideals, stand firm on what you believe in so that others won’t second-guess your sincerity.
4- Know who you are dealing with
When it comes to building a professional relationship, you may have to learn about the other party’s background. Whether it’s a contractor or an executive, you will need to check if they deserve your trust in the first place. It’s not that you are being paranoid, but when you are building a partnership where there’s a lot at stake, taking time for a background check should help you steer clear of any future risk.
For this reason, you can try to search Truthfinder to see if the person has had criminal dealings in the past. You don’t have to avoid making a connection if you find out they do have a controversial record, but it should help you become more cautious as you exchange information with them.
5- Help whenever you can
If there’s an opportunity to lend the other person a helping hand, take it. It provides you with a window for nurturing trust. People will appreciate it if you make the effort to do small favors. However, you should also set limits to the amount of help you can give. Being too helpful carries the danger of encouraging the other party to depend on you.
Learn to say “no” to certain requests that you don’t have the time and resources for. Provide a clear reason for your refusal. You know if the other person trusts you if they understand your position. Unless you have the means to provide help, it’s best that you don’t let anyone take advantage of your kindness.
With trust, you can go places and build solid professional relationships that can endure anything. It’s just a matter of using the right approaches as you meet new people along the way. You wouldn’t know if some of them could end up as your closest allies.
Joseph Yaghi
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