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By Cate Gregory
The ability to develop trusted relationships is critical to team and business success. There are real, tangible — and yes, economic — benefits to having trusted relationships. The problem is we do not have this type of relationship with all of our customers, colleagues and teammates all of the time. Why? One reason is it can be hard to pinpoint what we really mean by “trust.” There are many definitions of “trust,” and it means different things to different people in different contexts.
During my upcoming session at PCCA International Seminar 2019, I will share how my colleague Charlie Green of Trusted Advisor Associates, along with his co-authors of the bestselling book The Trusted Advisor, breaks down what it really means to be trustworthy. Hint: It takes credibility, reliability, intimacy and low self-orientation.
Demonstrate Credibility Credibility and reliability are largely rational traits. You can look to facts and data to confirm their existence. Let’s talk about credibility first. You can demonstrate your credibility in two key ways:
Create Intimacy “Intimacy” is a provocative word choice — intentionally. What we want to convey is more than a friendly or “good” relationship. When we talk about creating intimacy, we are talking about safety, as in the psychological kind. Do patients, partners and teammates feel comfortable and at ease when working with you? This can be a real differentiator for you and your business.
For most of us, it’s easy to see how credibility and reliability are important in business relationships. If we only focus on these rational elements of trust, though, we run the risk of our relationships being transactional and superficial. Intimacy is a special ingredient that makes all the difference. During PCCA’s International Seminar, I will share specific ways to increase attendees’ intimacy with customers and patients.
Avoid High Self-Orientation There are many reasons why it feels difficult to trust during moments of conflict, all boiling down to fear and uncertainty — fear that someone is going to take advantage of us in some way, fear that someone isn’t being straight with us, fear that we are not going to get what we want or need, fear that we are going to look bad, fear that they won’t like what we need to tell them. I could go on and on. These fears cause us to become highly self-oriented, which means we are less likely to act and respond in the most trustworthy way. That includes putting off dealing with the conflict. During International Seminar, I will be sharing a tried and true technique for getting into those difficult conversations sooner rather than later — and in a way that not only doesn’t erode trust, but builds trust in the process.
Why Trust Matters for Your Pharmacy There are real, tangible benefits to having trusted relationships with your patients and customers. Think about it: