Building trust

When you’re starting off with a new service provider – or looking to select one – how do you know if you can really trust them to deliver the goods?

Fortunately, there’s something pretty simple that you can start measuring from your first interactions:

Do they actually do what they say they will do?

• If they said they would get back to you by Tuesday, then did they?

• Are they on time for meetings?

• Did they send that additional information that they promised?

Watch for such things from the beginning, and then let that inform the trust you’re willing to place in them.

There’s no good reason to bet the farm on someone who may not have the integrity to handle the job. As with everything, consider what you’re hoping to achieve, and start looking for early indicators as soon as possible in the process.

One more thing:

If they do well early on, but the relationship is still too new for you to trust them with a massive project, it’s okay to ask if they’ll start out on something small. How small? As small as necessary to fit within your trust and comfort level, however you measure that for yourself.

All the best,
A.