The Foundation of All Persuasion
Manager A - Deepak: Brilliant strategy, impressive presentations, used all persuasion techniques perfectly. But his team never fully supported his ideas.
Manager B - Kavita: Average presentation skills, no fancy techniques. But whenever she proposed something, people immediately agreed and supported her.
What was the difference?
Deepak focused on techniques. Kavita focused on building trust.
Deepak once took credit for his team's work. Kavita always gave credit to others. Deepak made promises he didn't keep. Kavita's word was her guarantee.
After 2 years:
The lesson? Without trust, all your persuasion skills are worthless!
Let me share a truth from my 40 years of corporate training:
"You can know all the persuasion techniques in the world, but if people don't trust you, they won't be persuaded."
• Would you buy a car from a salesman you don't trust? No matter how good the features!
• Would you follow a leader you don't believe in? No matter how great the vision!
• Would you support an idea from someone who lied to you before? Never!
Trust is like air - when it's there, nobody notices it. But when it's missing, everyone feels suffocated.
Here's a simple formula that explains trust:
Let me break this down in simple words:
Credibility: Do people believe you know what you're talking about?
Reliability: Do you keep your promises? Can people depend on you?
Intimacy: Do people feel comfortable and safe with you?
Self-Interest: Do you care only about yourself, or about others too?
To increase trust: Increase the top three, decrease self-interest!
This is the foundation of trust. If you say you'll do something, do it - no matter how small.
Ramesh was a Team Lead in a software company. He made small promises and always kept them:
Within 6 months, his team trusted him completely. When he needed extra effort from the team for a critical project, they worked weekends without complaints!
Making promises you can't keep. It's better to say "I'll try" or "Let me check" than to promise and fail. One broken promise can destroy months of trust-building!
Nobody is perfect. When you make a mistake, admit it quickly and sincerely. This actually increases trust!
Neha made a wrong analysis that cost her company ₹10 lakhs. She was terrified but decided to be honest:
"I made an error in my calculations. This mistake is mine, and I take full responsibility. Here's what I'm doing to fix it..."
Her boss was impressed by her honesty. Instead of firing her, he promoted her 6 months later saying, "I can trust someone who admits mistakes more than someone who hides them."
People trust those who care about them. Ask about their work, their challenges, their families. And actually listen!
Don't hoard information. When you help others learn and grow, they trust you more. Knowledge shared is trust earned.
When things go well, praise your team. When things go wrong, take responsibility as the leader. This builds massive trust!
Sunil was a Project Manager when his project failed to meet the deadline. In the review meeting, he could have blamed his team, vendors, or circumstances.
Instead, he said: "The responsibility is mine. I didn't plan well enough, didn't communicate clearly, and didn't seek help early. My team worked hard, but I failed as a leader."
Everyone was stunned. His boss appreciated his honesty. His team was so moved that they worked extra hours voluntarily to complete the next project ahead of schedule!
Result: Sunil became the most trusted manager in the company. People fought to get into his projects.
People trust predictability. If you're supportive on Monday and angry on Tuesday for the same issue, people won't trust you.
Show that you know your field well, but don't show off. Share insights, solve problems, help others - your competence will speak for itself.
Use this checklist every day at work to build trust consistently:
Sometimes we make mistakes that break trust. Here's how to fix it:
Don't make excuses. Say clearly: "I understand I broke your trust when I..."
Mean it. Look them in the eye. "I'm truly sorry for..."
Help them understand what happened, but don't blame others or circumstances.
"Here's exactly what I'll do differently going forward..."
This is the hardest and most important part. Rebuild trust through consistent action over time.
Arjun promised his team a salary increase but failed to get it approved. His team felt betrayed.
What he did:
Result: It took 6 months, but his team trusted him again - even more than before!
You now understand that trust is the foundation of all persuasion. Without it, all techniques fail. With it, persuasion becomes natural.
Next, you'll discover how Emotional Intelligence multiplies your persuasion power!