Karin from the UK followed a thread of discussion on a recent posting about being comfortable in your own skin and said that our clients know if we are comfortable with ourselves or if we are trying to fit into a role. She said that this self-comfort is the cornerstone of trust.

That is a great point.

And trust is a major cornerstone of a comfortable, successful relationship with a client. How do you know when a client trusts you? Have you ever had prospective or new clients look at you a little sideways as if waiting for you to do something that could confirm the stereotyped picture of the untrustworthy building professional?

They look at you a little like, “God, is this person actually for real? A builder I can trust? A builder who actually wants me to be pleased?” I have seen this look of wonderment at times with people who I knew wanted to be sure they could trust me, and it was clear they wanted to trust me. So it was up to me to prove they could trust me. Once they did, what rewarding relationships often developed! Many of them let me know they felt I always had their best interest at heart.

Their trust made me feel awfully good working with them. It also helped the jobs go well, and it fed the referral network. One lady related to me how she told one of her friends that I called her and her husband early every morning to check in, give a quick update and ask questions while I was building their house. Her friend said, “WHAT? He calls you every morning? You’ve gotta be kidding! Is he for real?”

God, such a general reputation of untrustworthiness that we have in the construction industry!

Karin, thanks for the inspiration. Does anyone have anything to add? Even a good story about trust?