Do People Trust You? Advice For Building Trust and Inspiring Confidence

One afternoon as I was passing through the airport on my way home, I ran into a colleague of mine, Stephen M. R. Covey, the author of the book “The Speed of Trust.”

We stopped and exchanged a few pleasantries. I could tell that he needed to get through security, so I bid him safe travels.As he was hurrying away, I yelled after him, “I know something faster than the speed of trust.”

He yelled back, “What’s that?” I responded, “Distrust.” He laughed as he hurried away and responded, “You’re probably right.”Think about it for a minute. Some people will trust you from the beginning of your relationship without having any experience with you.

Others won’t trust you no matter what you do; you really have to work to earn their trust. Still others begin their relationship with you in a neutral position. They will wait to see what you say and do before they trust you.