My Trust-based Approach cannot be reduced to pure behaviors. You can't bottle it in a competency model. Our actions are driven by our beliefs and our beliefs are driven by our values - the principles we adhere to.
Trustworthy behavior is way too complex to fake. If your beliefs, values, and principles don't drive you to behave in a trustworthy manner all the time, you'll be found out quickly.
Hence, the principles I adhere to are the most important component of Trust-based Approach. The way to become trusted is to act consistently from those principles - and not just any made-up set of principles will do.
Four Specific Principles That Drive My Trust-Based Approach System are:
Principle 1: True Customer Focus | Why I See Client Focus As Critical
- Client focus improves problem definition for customers who deal in complex problems.
- Client focus allows constant learning on the part of myself who can't know all the answers.
- Clients won't let me earn the right to offer solutions until they feel I've understood their situation - and that comes about from truly paying attention.
- True client focus works competitively - because few people really practice it.
- Client focus encourages the client to share more, open up, and allow more access.
- Client focus leads to collaboration by the client.
- Client focus fosters acceptance of recommendations.
- An outsider's perspective often brings new insights that help all involved.
- Focusing and helping the client enriches my own life.
Principle 2: A Collaborative Style | The Benefits of Collaboration For My Client
- Shared perspectives.
- Enhanced creativity.
- Efficiency through division of labor.
- Efficiency through enhanced communication.
- Efficiency through shortcutting where mutually agreeable.
- More buy-in on the part of the customer.
- Fewer misunderstandings.
- Less elapsed time.
- Greater honesty.
- Better working relationships.
- Improved understanding of motives behind words and actions.
- Development on the part of myself and the client.
Principle 3: Medium to Long-Term Perspective | Why This Perspective is Critical
- It gives me room to invest in the relationship
- It provides better return-on-investment data.
- A short term perspective can lead to myself or the client making bad decisions.
- The consequences of trust-creating behaviors - and trust-destroying behaviors - become clear.
- It often takes a while to develop a relationship.
- Beyond the transaction, the economics of scale and of relationships take hold.
- Over time, clients learn about my business.
- In the short term, relationships can look like win-lose or lose-win; in the medium to longer term, they all become clearly win-win.
- Time allows multiple relationships to develop across myself and the client.
- The value of trust relationships isn't just additive; it fosters more trust relationships. Time helps trust become scalable
Principle 4: Habit of Transparency | Benefits of Operating Transparently
- My clients have no doubt about my main motive - to be the main asset in their real estate decision.
- My clients have the date to know I am telling the truth.
- Little time is wasted in arguing about what the truth is.
- I get a reputation for truth-telling.
- Since my flaws as well as my strengths are evident, clients can make sensible judgments about me.
- For the same reason, clients realize I don't exaggerate.
- Clients feel fairly treated by me.
- Clients are not suspicious of me.
- Clients reciprocate by being open and aboveboard with me.
- I gain credibility overtime and repeat business.
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