Need for new trust-building methods

Here's the new rule of GTM for 2025: it's about about TRUST not DISTRACTION. In 2024 and earlier, most companies were STILL playing the volume game: More cold emails More ads More noise But here's what I learned building partner programs at WeWork and Amex: 1. Identify Trusted Advocates Customers are more likely to trust recommendations from voices they already know and respect. Who influences our target audience? Who already has their attention and trust? These could be industry leaders, complementary solution providers, or niche communities. Build partnerships with those who already have a strong connection to your ideal customers. 2. Collaborate to Add Value, Not Noise Instead of interrupting your audience with another cold email or ad, collaborate with partners to create meaningful, value-driven touch points. - Co-host a webinar addressing a shared customer pain point. - Develop a joint white paper showcasing both brands’ expertise. - Offer bundled solutions that make life easier for the customer. 3. Leverage Existing Trust to Open Doors Partners are amplifiers AND bridges. They help you cross the “river of distraction” and reach customers without the noise. A well-placed introduction or co-branded recommendation carries far more weight than another outbound message. 4. Measure the Shift from Interruption to Influence If trust-building is your new GTM focus, your success metrics need to change too. Track things like: - Partner-Sourced Leads: Leads generated through trusted partner referrals. - Engagement Rates: How customers interact with co-created content or campaigns. - Pipeline Velocity: How quickly partner-driven deals progress compared to direct sales efforts. Breaking through the noise requires genuine relationships. It's no longer about whose voice is the loudest, it’s whose voice your audience already trusts. The future isn't about interruption and distraction. It's about trust.

Trust doesn't come from your accomplishments. It comes from quiet moves like these: For years I thought I needed more experience, achievements, and wins to earn trust. But real trust isn't built through credentials. It's earned in small moments, consistent choices, and subtle behaviors that others notice - even when you think they don't. Here are 15 quiet moves that instantly build trust 👇🏼 1. You close open loops, catching details others miss ↳ Send 3-bullet wrap-ups after meetings. Reliability builds. 2. You name tension before it gets worse ↳ Name what you sense: "The energy feels different today" 3. You speak softly in tense moments ↳ Lower your tone slightly when making key points. Watch others lean in. 4. You stay calm when others panic, leading with stillness ↳ Take three slow breaths before responding. Let your calm spread. 5. You make space for quiet voices ↳ Ask "What perspective haven't we heard yet?", then wait. 6. You remember and reference what others share ↳ Keep a Key Details note for each relationship in your phone. 7. You replace "but" with "and" to keep doors open ↳ Practice "I hear you, and here's what's possible" 8. You show up early with presence and intention ↳ Close laptop, turn phone face down 2 minutes before others arrive. 9. You speak up for absent team members ↳ Start with "X made an important point about this last week" 10. You turn complaints into possibility ↳ Replace "That won't work" with "Let's experiment with..." 11. You build in space for what really matters ↳ Block 10 min buffers between meetings. Others will follow. 12. You keep small promises to build trust bit by bit ↳ Keep a "promises made" note in your phone. Track follow-through. 13. You protect everyone's time, not just your own ↳ End every meeting 5 minutes early. Set the standard. 14. You ask questions before jumping to fixes ↳ Lead with "What have you tried so far?" before suggesting solutions. 15. You share credit for wins and own responsibility for misses ↳ Use "we" for successes, "I" for challenges. Watch trust grow. Your presence speaks louder than your resume. Trust is earned in these quiet moments. Which move will you practice first? Share below 👇🏼 -- ♻️ Repost to help your network build authentic trust without the struggle 🔔 Follow me Dr. Carolyn Frost for more strategies on leading with quiet impact

In a world of deep fakes, trust is more valuable than ever. Here's how to build unshakeable trust in the digital age: 🔒 Radical Transparency: Share your process, not just your results. • Open-source parts of your code • Live-stream product development • Publish raw data alongside analysis This builds credibility and invites collaboration. 🤝 The Art of the Public Apology: • Acknowledge mistakes quickly • Explain what happened (no excuses) • Outline concrete steps to prevent recurrence Swift, honest responses turn crises into trust-building opportunities. 🔬 Trust by Design: • Build privacy safeguards into products from day one • Conduct regular third-party security audits • Create an ethics board with external members Proactive trust-building beats reactive damage control. 📊 Blockchain for Verification: • Use smart contracts for transparent transactions • Create immutable audit trails for sensitive data • Implement decentralized identity solutions Blockchain isn't just for crypto – it's a trust engine. 🗣️ Trust Cascade: • Train employees as trust ambassadors • Reward those who flag issues early • Share customer trust stories widely Trust spreads exponentially when everyone's involved. 🧠 Harness AI Responsibly: • Develop explainable AI models • Implement bias detection algorithms • Offer users control over their AI interactions Show you're using AI to empower, not replace human judgment. 🌐 Trust Ecosystem: • Partner with trusted third-party verifiers • Join industry-wide trust initiatives • Create a customer trust council Your network becomes your net worth in the trust economy. Remember: In a world of infinite information, trust is the ultimate differentiator. Build it deliberately, protect it fiercely, and watch your business soar. Thanks for reading! If you found this valuable: • Repost for your network ♻️ • Follow me for more deep dives • Join our 300K+ community https://lnkd.in/eDYX4v_9 for more on the future of API, AI, and tech The future is connected. Become a part of it.

Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets, and we’re running out of buckets. If you're leading teams through #AI adoption, navigating #hybrid work, or just steering through the tempest that is 2025, there's a crucial factor that could make or break your success: #trust. And right now, it's in free fall. Edelman's Trust Barometer showed an "unprecedented decline in employer trust" -- the first time in their 25 years tracking that trust in business fell. It's no surprise: midnight #layoff emails, "do more with less," #RTO mandates, and fears of #GenAI displacement given CEO focus on efficiency are all factors. The loss of #trust will impact performance. The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) research shows high performing organizations have 10-11X higher trust between employees and leaders. Trust impacts #engagement, #innovation and #technology adoption, especially AI. My latest newsletter gets beyond the research and into what leaders can do today to start rebuilding trust You can't command-and-control your way through a complete overhaul of how we work... Trust is a two-way street. Leaders need to go first, but we also have to rebuild the gives-and-takes of employer/employee relationships. Three starting points: 1️⃣ Clear Goals, Real Accountability. Stop monitoring attendance and start measuring outcomes. Give teams clear goals and autonomy in how they achieve them. 2️⃣ Transparency with Guardrails. Break down information silos. Share context behind decisions openly - even difficult ones. Establish guardrails for meaningful conversations internally (instead of rock-throwing externally). 3️⃣ Show Vulnerability. Saying "I don't know" isn't weakness–it's an invitation for others to contribute. The word “vulnerability” seems anathema to too many public figures at the moment, who instead are ready to lock themselves in the Octagon with their opponents. But what’s tougher for them: taking a swing at someone, or admitting to their own limitations? This isn't just about CEOs. Great leaders show up at all levels of the org chart, creating "trust bubbles:" pockets of high performance inside even the most challenging environments. If you're one of those folks, thank you for what you do! 👉 Link to the newsletter in comments; please read (it's free) and let me know what you think! #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Management #Culture

During the pandemic, something unexpected happened in our workplaces: we became more compassionate. We didn’t have a rulebook, but we had each other. And for a brief moment, grace became the norm. Children on laps during conference calls weren’t interruptions; they were reminders of humanity. Leaders made themselves more accessible, holding open Zoom office hours. Companies went out of their way to create connection: virtual coffee chats, workplace bingo, live concerts, wine tastings, professional development. We were anxious, scared, and uncertain, but we tried to show up with empathy and understanding. Trust, transparency, and sensitivity weren’t buzzwords—they were survival skills. But now? The tone has shifted. Suddenly it’s “get back to work.” It’s “no one wants to work anymore.” It’s the tired narrative that blames whole generations for wanting something different. It feels like somewhere along the way, we forgot our manners. So, how do we get trust back? Three Steps to Rebuilding Trust: Trust isn’t a one-time initiative. It’s a daily practice. And it’s also a language—seven of them, to be exact, which I explore in my new book Talk To Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace. Here are three trust languages that feel especially urgent right now: 1. Transparency. Clarity over confusion. Share what you know, admit what you don’t, and bring people into the process. Even half an answer is better than silence. 2. Sensitivity. Pause before you hit “send.” Ask yourself: Will this build trust or erode it? Remember that some colleagues are still adjusting to new ways of working, managing new family realities, or carrying invisible burdens. 3. Acknowledgment. Not every thank-you comes with a bonus, but every person deserves recognition. Be specific. Don’t just say “good job”—say how their work made an impact. Silence breeds doubt; acknowledgment breeds loyalty. The pandemic reminded us that trust is possible in the workplace. The question is: will we choose it again? This week, try speaking one trust language—transparency, sensitivity, or acknowledgment—more intentionally. You’ll be surprised how quickly it shifts the tone on your team. Because when trust is the foundation, everything else becomes possible. #leadership #trust #communication #management #humanresources

Whether you’re stepping into a startup as a non-founder leader or hiring your first executive as a founder, it is critical to build trust quickly. Create a Trust Building Plan One of the most effective ways to build trust is through a clear plan with frequent check-ins that encourage transparent discussion. At Proletariat, we used a 30-60-90 day structure, focusing on two key aspects. The Two Pillars of Leadership Trust Leaders often have two core responsibilities: tasks (the tangible work they produce) and decision-making. - Tasks: This involves skill, execution, and communication. It can range from crafting a presentation to delivering complex projects involving large teams.  - Decision-Making: This is about identifying choices, gathering information, assessing possible solutions, managing differing opinions, and ultimately choosing the right path. Building Trust Through Tasks To build trust through tasks an individual needs to consistently meet or exceed expectations over time. When creating a trust building plan consider the following: 1. Communication: A new leader should set clear expectations and create a communication plan that existing leadership and the new leader can use to keep everyone on the same page. 2. Skill and Competency: New leaders need to build credibility within their team and show that they can apply their skills within the context of where the company is today. Existing leadership should highlight areas where those skills are most needed. 3. Execution: Successful execution shows grit, team building and problem-solving. When creating a plan be sure to focus on what exactly great execution looks like. Start with tasks that are likely to succeed to help build momentum. If a task fails, conduct a post mortem to understand what went wrong and set up the leader for future success. Trust is easily lost through a few failed tasks. Building Trust Through Decision-Making To build trust through decision-making an individual needs to consistently make “good” decisions based on the organization’s decision-making framework. Decision-making is about applying a consistent framework that balances team needs, strategic goals, and company values. I recently wrote a post diving deep into how to delegate decision making which discusses this framework. A trust building plan should lay out how decision-making can be phased over time to give the new leader more and more autonomy as they learn to use the decision making framework. Clear communication on when a new leader should get additional approval, and how much transparency they should provide in the decision-making process, or any other key factors, will help ensure success. If a wrong decision is made it is critical to post-mortem that decision and fix any issues or misalignment. I post weekly here: https://lnkd.in/ewzbkpUd

Building Trust in the Age of AI In a world where AI is reshaping everything, customer trust is becoming the ultimate currency. The numbers don’t lie: 80% of CEOs say transparency around adopting new technologies is critical to building that trust. Even more striking, 71% believe trust will outweigh any single product or service in driving long-term success. So, how can businesses win in this trust-driven economy? Here’s the blueprint: 1. Set the Rules of Engagement—Clarity Builds Confidence Define how your organization approaches change. - Use consistent data to foster alignment. - Build clear governance structures and define outcomes to avoid ambiguity. - Establish ground rules for constructive debate—it’s the friction of ideas that fuels innovation. 2. Break Down IT and Business Silos—Speak the Same Language - Eliminate conflicting goals—stop measuring IT and business separately. - Prioritize IT projects with direct, measurable ties to business value. - Align timelines to ensure both IT and business teams are rowing in the same direction. 3. Leverage the C-Suite—Leadership Drives Trust - Create a new decision-making matrix to clarify authority over tech decisions - Incentivize open, healthy debate, but also define when quick consensus is essential. - Balance diverse expertise with shared goals to ensure every voice is heard without losing momentum. The future isn’t just about technology—it’s about trust. Are you ready to lead? #IBM #IBMiX #AI #genAI