As I’ve formed Brightside Engagement, I’ve been reminded how vital relationships are to business. And one of the most important components to healthy relationships is trust. I want to build and sustain a relationship with you that is built on trust, so I’ll be sending you helpful emails like this four times a year.

Hopefully, the tips below help you build trust in your relationships with your colleagues and customers.

1. Understand the current climate. The 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer indicates that trust is at an all-time low across multiple sectors. While this is unfortunate, it also means that we have an amazing opportunity to restore trust in our communities.

  • Whether you are a small business or a government agency, you have the chance to connect with your community and rebuild trust using the tips below.

  • It’s vital to go into a situation with your eyes open. Knowing that people have a low level of trust right now allows you to focus on building trust; as the right thing to do, but also to set yourself apart from others.

2. Work to rebuild trust. Sometimes you can listen to your gut and know when trust is eroding. Most of the time, you need to consciously move toward building or maintaining trust with each action you take to ensure a strong and healthy relationship. My most fruitful discussions happen after I’ve built trust with someone or when I’ve “extended a hand” to show that I’m working to rebuild lost trust.

There are hundreds of ways to rebuild or maintain trust. Here are two ideas you can use, but the most important thing is to be authentic.

  • Online: Marketers suggest a Feel/Felt/Found formula (ah, alliteration!) to empathetically connect with readers to build trust. Here is an example of this formula, “It’s hard to write your LinkedIn profile. I felt that way too until I found a tip saying I should write my profile more like the start of a conversation.” (If you want to learn more about writing a good LinkedIn profile, check out this article from Fast Company.)

  • In person: If you’re speaking with someone who is angry, try to reframe what they’re saying without attaching agreement or disagreement (just show empathy). This is a technique that takes practice and really comes down to your tone of voice and staying emotionally neutral. For example, “I want to make sure I understand. You feel upset because … Is that right?” If you want to learn more about this technique, check out this article by Psychology Today.

3. Trust builds slowly! The three components researchers say are critical to trust--someone has the ability to do what they say, shows benevolence, and acts with integrity–are typically learned through actions over time, not just through words.

One great way to build trust is to make and fulfill promises; as you deliver on the promises you will build trust.

  • Online: Share useful information that helps your customers. This shows that you are looking out for your community’s best interests (showing benevolence) and are committed to a long-term relationship.
  • In person: Don’t let your meetings run long. It might seem unimportant and it’s not an easy thing to do, but by promising you’ll finish at 2 p.m. and then finishing at 2 p.m. you will gain trust from your participants.