Trust

🌲 "Trust is the glue of life..."

 Stephen Covey's words rang especially true for me this past weekend.

Anyone following my posts this week knows that I just returned from a retreat with some of my closest college friends, incredible women I've known for decades.  We live all over the country and don't get to talk nearly as often as we'd like. Life, families, careers… they all fill our calendars.  But when we do get the chance to reconnect, whether sitting around a fire pit late at night or floating on a lake under the sun, it's as if no time has passed.

The conversations are deep.  Raw.  Unfiltered. There's laughter, tears, shared memories, and new reflections. And what allows those conversations to happen, what makes the space feel so safe and sacred, is trust.

Not the kind of trust that's given.

The kind that's earned.

Over the years of showing up.  Listening.  Supporting.

Not perfectly, but consistently.

Trust in business should be no different.

Whether personal or professional, trust has to be nurtured, valued, and respected. And just like with my friends, communication is the bridge that keeps trust strong or causes it to crumble.

One story stands out:

A technology leader recently contacted me. He saw a post on LinkedIn and texted me, saying how excited I was that I had written the book that we discussed so many years ago.  In fairness, I'm still editing and looking for a publisher, but I did do the “thing”.

We first met in 2006. He was a bright, hungry, young Sales Engineer just getting his feet under him.  Today, he serves as the SVP of technology. Watching his career blossom has been a joy, but what means even more to me is this:

Our relationship wasn't built on sales metrics or dashboards.  It was built on trust. He knew I'd always shoot straight.  Show up.  Do what I said I would. And that mattered more than any product pitch ever could.

Whether it’s around a fire with old friends or across a boardroom table, trust is always the foundation. So, as you head out in this world, as an employee, a leader, or a friend, remember that the one thing you take with you is your reputation, and that is built on the trust that you have earned.  

Vetta Sales Consulting is committed to helping your company and your people thrive. Let us show you how to build trust with focused insights through Aptive, individual or team coaching, or by developing focused strategies.

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