The TRUST Show

In this episode, I read Chapter 11 of The Trust Premium, which brings us to the conclusion of Part II of the book. This chapter steps back from the model and the laws to explore the deeper foundations of trust—the underlying principles that guide how trust is built, lost, and earned. We look at relativity, the idea that trust is not one-size-fits-all; empathy, the ability to see the world through your customer’s eyes; no-BS, the power of honesty and transparency; and nuance, the often-overlooked details that can make or break a trusting relationship. These four principles shape everything else in the book, and understanding them is key to becoming a truly trustworthy professional.

Trust isn’t just about who you are—it’s also about what you do in every interaction with a customer. In this episode, I continue reading Chapter 10 of The Trust Premium, focusing on the three key components that shape trust in the moment: Positivity, Time, and Intimacy. I discuss why radical honesty (No-BS) and empathy are essential for building trust, how first impressions and consistent behavior impact trust over time, and the role of deeper, richer interactions in accelerating trust. I also explore why bad is stronger than good—how a single negative action can outweigh multiple positive ones, making trust much easier to lose than to build.

Do your customers truly trust you, or do you just think they do? In this episode, I read Chapter 9 of The Book of TRUST, where we explore the surprising trust gap between businesses and their customers. Then, I dive into the first half of Chapter 10, introducing the Relative Trust Model and focusing on the first three components that shape trust before an interaction even begins: Competence, Personality Compatibility, and Symmetry.

How do customers judge your expertise? Does personality compatibility affect trust? And why does fairness in your relationship matter? Tune in to find out—and don’t miss the next episode, where I’ll cover the remaining components of the model and discuss the impact of "what you do" during an interaction.

Trust isn’t just about honesty or reliability—it follows specific patterns and behaviors that influence every interaction, especially in the customer-provider relationship. In this episode, I read Chapters 7 and 8 of The Trust Premium, where we transition from why trust is essential to what trust really is.

I’ll introduce my definition of trust and break down the Eight Laws of Trust, which challenge common assumptions and reveal how trust actually works. You’ll discover why trust is continuous, contextual, personal, asymmetrical, transferrable, reciprocal, dynamic, and two-sided—and why understanding these laws is crucial for building trust with your customers.

Next week, we’ll dive into what specifically makes a customer trust you. But for now, let’s explore the fascinating ways trust behaves and why it’s not what you think.

In this episode, I’ll be reading Chapter 6 of The Trust Premium—The Bottom-Line Impact of Trust Premium.

So far, we’ve discussed how trust drives revenue through higher pricing and customer preference. But what about profitability? Today, we’ll break down how trust doesn’t just boost your top line—it multiplies your bottom line. From increasing gross profit margins to lowering customer acquisition costs, we’ll quantify the real financial impact of trust on your business.

In the final part of Chapter 5, we explore how personal factors—such as customer knowledge, risk tolerance, fear, and trustfulness—affect the Trust Premium. Understanding these differences helps you identify and focus on customers who value trust the most. Plus, we recap the entire chapter and set the stage for next week’s discussion on how the Trust Premium impacts your bottom line.

Not all industries command the same Trust Premium. In this episode, I continue reading from The Trust Premium and explore why trust matters more in some industries than others. From painters to surgeons, financial advisors to insurance agents, I break down how factors like risk, complexity, and customer relationships shape the Trust Premium. Understanding these differences can help you position yourself where trust has the most value. Tune in to learn how industry context impacts trust-based pricing!

In this episode, I continue reading from my new book, The Trust Premium, sharing the first part of Chapter 5. This chapter explores how trust translates into both Trust Preference and Trust Premium, impacting customer decisions in different ways across industries. In this section, I define three key terms—Trust Preference, Trust Premium, and No-Trust Discount—and explain how they shape buying behavior. Join me as we break down the power of trust in sales and what it means for your business.

In this episode, I’ll be reading Chapter 4 of The Trust Premium and diving into three deeply ingrained beliefs that shape our purchasing decisions: “You get what you paid for,” “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” and “If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.” Using real survey data, I’ll explore how these maxims influence our perception of price, value, and trustworthiness—and why people are willing to pay a premium when they trust the seller.

In this episode, I’m diving into Chapter 3 of The Trust Premium, exploring the purchase decision and what happens beyond it. Learn how perceived and actual price, value, and trust shape every transaction. From total cost of ownership to switching costs, I’ll unpack examples of how trust builds—or erodes—after the sale. We’ll also discuss the cycle of outbound transferrable trust from current customers to the inbound transferrable trust of future customers, showing why trust is vital not just for maintaining loyal customers in ongoing relationships, but also for attracting new customers in transactional sales.