{"id":2739,"date":"2015-05-07T09:42:15","date_gmt":"2015-05-07T13:42:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=2739"},"modified":"2015-05-07T14:57:56","modified_gmt":"2015-05-07T18:57:56","slug":"6-ways-to-build-trust-in-under-8-seconds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trustacrossamerica.com\/blog\/?p=2739","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Build Trust in Under 8 Seconds"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Did you know that information overload has lowered our attention span to only\u00a0eight seconds<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Even “Top 10” lists, a favorite of social media enthusiasts just a few years ago, have now been condensed to “Top 6’s or 5’s” or moved totally away from the written word to short and catchy “feel good” phrases, posters or video sound bytes. Bookstores certainly aren’t thriving, nor are newspapers or magazines. It’s hard to read an article in 8 seconds, let alone a book.<\/p>\n

If you want to grab someone’s attention you better be able to do it quickly, or so the PR and marketing folks will tell you. But they just might be wrong,\u00a0and those “gurus” who choose\u00a0these “race to the bottom” marketing tactics fuel\u00a0the chronic low- trust epidemic, instead of playing a much needed role\u00a0in the solution.<\/p>\n

Trust is built in incremental steps and high trust relationships certainly require more\u00a0than 8 seconds to establish. Short\u00a0“to do” lists or catchy phrases, just\u00a0don’t cut it. But ironically, there ARE 6 essential steps we can all take to build the first foundational layer in the “trust construction” process and they CAN be completed in under 8 seconds.<\/p>\n

Trash Your Ego:<\/strong> Leave your ego at the door when you meet someone for the first time or attend\u00a0a meeting. If others think you perceive yourself as better than they are, you might as well not show up at all.<\/p>\n

Make Eye Contact:<\/strong> Eye contact is a sign of honesty and reliability. There is a reason why dishonest people are said to have “shifty eyes.”<\/p>\n

Shake Like You Mean It:<\/strong> A strong handshake signals confidence in yourself and your abilities, essential components of trust.<\/p>\n

Cell Phones be Gone<\/strong>: How often do you check your phone during a meeting? It’s a\u00a0lack of respect, and more importantly, a clear indication that you are not listening. It takes two to build trust so don’t be distracted.<\/p>\n

Smile With Warmth:<\/strong> William Arthur Ward is credited with saying “A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” And kindness and warmth build trust, as do sincere compliments.<\/p>\n

Tell the Truth:<\/strong> Remember, once you lie and get caught, nothing you EVER\u00a0say will be accepted\u00a0as the truth.<\/p>\n

Gotta run, I’ve gone over the 8 second limit!<\/p>\n

Barbara Brooks Kimmel<\/strong>\u00a0is the Executive Director of\u00a0<\/span>Trust Across America-Trust Around the World<\/a>\u00a0whose mission is to help organizations build trust, and runs the world’s\u00a0largest membership program<\/a>\u00a0for those interested in the subject. She\u00a0is also the editor of the award winning\u00a0<\/span>TRUST INC.<\/a>\u00a0book series and the Executive Editor of\u00a0<\/span>TRUST! Magazine<\/a>. In 2012 Barbara was named \u201cOne of 25 Women Changing the World\u201d by Good Business International.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our annual poster,\u00a052 Weeks of Activities to Increase Organizational Trust<\/a>\u00a0is available\u00a0to those who would like to support our work by making a small donation.<\/p>\n

Did you know we have published 3 books in our award-winning\u00a0TRUST Inc. series<\/a>. They are yours when you\u00a0join our Alliance.<\/a><\/p>\n

Copyright 2015, Next Decade, Inc.<\/p>\n

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