
Just trust me.

“Just trust me.” We have heard it one time or another. It might have been from a teenager talking back after you have said they cannot do something, or maybe it is jokingly said by your bestie about daring you to do something silly! It signals to our brain to move towards: towards an action, a person, an experience, a financial deal, a product, or whatever it may be. We want to be trusted, we want to trust, and we need the trust to have the connections with everything.
As a business, you need trust to earn a customers’ investment in your product or service. As an individual, in any type of relationship, you need trust to earn your investment in the person and the future of the relationship. And earning it is just like having a savings account earning interest, the more money you put into that savings account, the more the interest grows it. The more time you put into a relationship, the more it grows. Or not. Put a penny in a savings account at .01% interest and see how long it takes to grow to $100. The more you bank, the better the return.

When the bank account is empty, sitting there with a penny in it, you need to make a daily deposit to make a difference. In “trust” terms, that looks like work, just like a 9 to 5 job where you need to put in your time, show up early, stay late, build teamwork, invest in communication skills, being curious by constantly learning and always improving your performance. And just like a 9 to 5, trust is built with intent, motive, your abilities, showing up for the others to complete the job, your track record, and mostly by your character.
Five factors create trust and when a few are missing or slipping, so does that trust. They are understanding, intentions (are they in it to serve an honorable purpose), abilities (do they have the skills, willingness, and knowledge to move forward), character (traits like honesty, integrity, courage, etc.), and accountability (do they show up, keep their word, follow through?). These factors also need to always be in motion, continually be nurtured with actions that go the extra mile so you can move forward.

So, trust me! You need to add pennies to that account. The next time you see a penny laying on the ground it may be “a penny from heaven” reminding you to make an investment in the time, effort, and move toward someone needing a connection.
