Why Trust Matters in Your Virtual Assistant Business

As you can tell from my last post, and the title of this one, I've been thinking a lot about trust lately...

Part of the reason for that is I've been reading a book by Stephen M.R. Covey called The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything. Covey's premise is that when you earn trust, everything in a business relationship runs more smoothly and quickly.

When things go wrong, you're more apt to give the other party the benefit of the doubt when you trust them. You will listen to their advice more closely, and be more willing to tell them what you're really thinking.

Covey cites several real-life, big business examples of how trust has sped up contract negotiations and mergers compared to expected timelines. Even though he writes about large corporations, everything he says can also be applied to small business - and, in fact, to almost every personal and professional relationship you have.

According to Covey, trust is built one small step at a time.

Earning credibility with others begins with trusting yourself, and believing you're deserving of other people's trust. He offers several practical examples of small steps you can take to learn to trust yourself (which might be why I found this book under the Self-Help, not Business, section of my local bookstore - his points hit a little close to home at times. Speaking of which... did you know, when you push that snooze button every morning, you might be undermining your credibility with yourself?).

In your virtual assistant business, that small step could be as simple inviting someone to sign up for a free gift on your website, and then actually sending it to them. Most of us do that anyway, for various reasons, but what you're really doing is building trust.

You build trust by showing up at your blog once in a while, if you have one.

By responding to an email inquiry in a timely fashion.

By having a resource box in your article, with a link that is related to the topic of your article.

By participating in a forum, offering solutions to your target market's problems.

By publishing your newsletter when you say you will.

Each thing very small in itself, but all leading towards the ultimate goal of creating trust with your client.

Here's a link to The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything if you want to check it out for yourself.