I had an amazing experience today with a long term retail client, Lisa is a wonderful person whose highly articulate, outgoing but very shrewd. She has an exacting eye for detail and a capacity to understand information which suits me to a T.
As Lisa and I were discussing some restoration and service requirements her little daughter was dancing around and politely engaging in conversation. I high fived Verity as we chatted and discovered her favourite colour was pink, she knew that one particular shade was called fuscia.
So what has this got to do with TRUST? A loving mother is more discerning than than any entrepreneur, religious leader or a head of state. Mothers have a sixth sense or an instinct that perceives a person’s trustworthiness.
Verity was at ease in my company because Lisa was her source of safety and refuge, her whole world relies on the trust she has in her mother.
The dictionary defines the word trust this way.
reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence ; hope.
Transactional V’s Trust Business
Trust is the currency of relationships not exchanges of money or services, if that all it was about then businesses would consist of no more than vending machines and ATM’S. I don’t have favourite vending machines but I do have favourite shops based on the relationships I have with the staff.
A transactional business is not concerned about long term relationships it is focused only on net income and new leads to drive growth, the transactional business owner is less focused on quality and more on quantity, relationships exist to propel the business forward.
Trust however propels us forward to higher service levels and more accountability, not because of competition or market forces, rather an innate desire to honour the relationships we have developed. We first serve and in doing so we receive, trust is the bow that ties our relationships together.
Pretty as a picture
So what inspired this blog? A little girls hand drawn picture. You see little Verity came up to me and said Peter I have a picture for you, guys don’t cry; EVER. But my eyeballs wanted to sweat, profusely.
She trusted me and because of that this young lady drew me a beautiful picture, I looked at her mum and was almost lost for words.
Yes I was paid well by my client for excellent service, but only my bank statement will be evidence of the transaction, but this beautiful drawing is testament to the world of trust.
Peter Karaoglanis
peterkaraoglanis 