As you know, without trust nothing else matters. I’m sure you know what it's like when a client trusts you. Have you had the experience of working overtime to earn someone's trust and enjoyed the benefits building trust can bring? It's a great feeling, isn't it? One the other hand, you may have had the experience of not creating trust quickly enough with certain prospects. It's not a good feeling to be trustworthy, but unable to create that belief in the eyes of the prospect. With trust, establishing relationships with the right clients seems almost effortless. Without trust, it's an uphill battle. A battle, moreover, that can't be won with experience, knowledge or even credentials. Remember, without trust nothing else matters.

The following 10 Principles have been developed to crystallize the actions that build and maintain trust with your clients. If you are reading one of these ideas and think "I know that" let that thought trigger the more profitable thought, "Am I doing that?" You always achieve greater levels of success doing what you know, not just knowing it.

1) We demonstrate our trustworthiness based on our ability to ask good questions and our willingness to listen.