Effective Communication:
The Pathway to Trusting, Loyal Relationships

By Steve Gavatorta

The foundation of all successful relationships is trust. Think about it. Whether personal or professional, how can a relationship be successful without trust? Imagine a marriage where you can’t trust a mate, embarking on a business venture with an unreliable partner, or following an untruthful leader. Without trust all of these endeavors are doomed to failure.

Does trust guarantee a successful relationship? No, not in and of itself, but as mentioned above it is the foundation upon which successful relationships are built. The consequence of trust in relationships is the development of a long-term durable loyalty and it is this loyalty that is the keystone to successful long term relationships. In sales, loyalty is the differentiating point between a onetime sale and a long business partnership. In leadership, loyalty is the difference between teams that are simply just good enough and those that are great. If you want long-term business relationships or teams that strive for greatness, then loyalty is the essential element that you are seeking.

So all of this begs the question, “How is this trust, a trust that leads to loyalty, best established?”

The single most effective way to establish trust is through effective communication. By being able to effectively communicate you are able to identify and define the expectations in a business relationship, and by consistently fulfilling these expectations trust is created. In this hyper, fast-paced, high tech, low touch world, effective communication becomes extremely difficult and is increasingly the key point where trust breaks down. People aren’t connecting, interacting and communicating effectively, so those who grasp and master this art will inevitably rise above the rest. Trust and loyalty are the ultimate premiums in today’s business world and those who can establish trust and gain loyalty will reap not only the immediate rewards but will be the leaders in whichever fields there endeavors lead them.

The ultimate pathway to trust and durable loyalty follows a 5 step communication process. This five step process is not mutually exclusive and must be followed in order, as the achieved success in each step sets the stage for success in the following step.

• Connect - You must “connect” with someone before you engage.
A connection can be established by simply finding “common ground.” The best way to understand someone is to uncover as much as possible about that person. The main areas of focus should be: their immediate motivation and how this motivation is applied; their approach to risk and the manner in which they deal with it; their tactics for processing conflict and dealing with change; and finally, how they communicate. When you understand and master identifying these basics, you will better understand people and begin the process of aligning your communication and interactions with their needs and begin the process of engagement.

• Engage - You must “engage” with someone before you can build rapport.
Once you’ve established a connection with a client the process of engagement allows you to begin to build a deeper relationship. Engagement is initiated by asking the appropriate questions that uncover the client’s problems and needs.

• Build Rapport - You must “build rapport” before you can be credible.
Once you’ve “engaged” you can then begin to build rapport. By “active listening” and effective questioning you will have uncovered customer problems and needs and be in the precise position to solve and meet them. • Be Credible - You must “be credible” before you can be trusted. Credibility is critical because all of the work and gains won in the previous three steps can be destroyed with a loss of credibility and once lost can be impossible to regain. The ultimate bottom line is to be a person of your word and deliver on your promises. And if for some reason you can’t, then communicate the reasons with honesty and integrity. People will forgive you not delivering on a promise if you’ve communicated the reasons why and take the initiative to develop a plan of action on how you are going to rectify the situation. Remember that consistency leads to trust.

• Be Trusted - You must “be trusted” before you have long-term loyal relationships.
By progressing through these steps, you’ve built the foundation for a trusting relationship. Continue to employ and refine each of these steps building on this foundation to create a durable loyalty. You can always build on your connection points, engage and build rapport on much deeper levels and continue to solidify your credibility by being a person of your word. If you build the foundation and nurture its development you’ll establish a durable loyal relationship and a deeper and more rewarding success – both personally and professionally.