Who Do You Trust More: Santa or a Tax Collector?

Believe it or not, it is a relevant question. Santa is a selfless giver who is universally adored and the tax collector is despised because they take from us. No one is distrustful of Santa, except maybe in the case of those mall Santas who look like they just got out of prison. The point I’m trying to make is that we trust those who are generous. Trust is a BIG deal in business and knowing how to cultivate it in a world full of spam emails and infomercials is more important now than ever. When was the last time you handed over money to someone you didn’t trust?

How do you earn trust?

One way to earn trust it to give without expecting anything in return. This is exactly how I run my business. I provide free content and if you choose to work with me, that’s great but if not that’s cool too. Here is a little diddy that about this principle for you to rock out to while you read the rest of this post:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr_uHJPUlO8]

Another way to earn trust is by consistently doing what you say you’re going to do. This means following through on things like posting your weekly blog post even when you don’t feel like it. Consistency shows that you’re serious about your business and it’s not just an expensive hobby.

The Reciprocity Principle

There is something in our psyche that makes us want to give to someone who has given to us. This is known as the reciprocity principle. This doesn’t mean you give someone something and then sit and wait for your return because that’s gross and shady. What is does mean is that if you help someone, they are more likely to work with you, share your content or recommend you to someone who needs you.  I have to stress here that you must use this ethically. It is not okay to manipulate someone psychologically.

How I use the Reciprocity Principle

I create content weekly, share useful content from others and create awesome freebies like this as part of my marketing strategy. By giving without sitting here twiddling my fingers in anticipation of what will come back to me, I make it more likely that people will trust and want to work with me, share my content or recommend me to a friend. Creating all of this content also demonstrates my expertise. Telling is not enough, you have to show. That’s why it’s called show AND tell, not just tell.

If at the end of the day I haven’t booked another client or sold a product, I know I’ve helped someone and I’ve put myself in a better position because I’m being the Santa and not the tax collector.

What can you give away to be more of a Santa?