In today¡¯s highly competitive economy, it is difficult to \rmaintain a significant market advantage based on your \rprofessional skills alone. Developing a trusting relationship \rwith your clients is key to your success. No matter what business \ryou are in, the most powerful value-added you can contribute in \rany business relationship is the trust factor.

The trust level in Corporate America is at an all-time low, and \rsuspicion of ¡°all things corporate¡± is on the rise. Clients and \rprospects are in search of trust in their business relationships. \rAlthough people do business with other people they know and \rtrust, building trust and credibility does not happen overnight.

What is trust? Trust can be defined as a firm belief in the \rhonesty of another and the absence of suspicion regarding his \rmotives or practices. The concept of trust in business dealings \ris simple: Build on an individual¡¯s confidence in you and \reliminate fear as an operating principle.

To cultivate trust, take the risk of being open with clients and \rprospects. This enables them to perceive you as a real person--one \rwith strengths and weaknesses that come into play as the \rrelationship develops. When trust is reciprocal, you will find \rthat your confidence in others is rewarded by their support and \rreinforcement of what you also stand for as a business entity.

Letting Go of Fear

Let go of fear, which restricts your ability to relate to others. \rLetting go frees you of behavioral constraints that can \rimmobilize your emotional and professional development. Fear of \rrejection, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being hurt, \rfear of the unknown¡ªall these are roadblocks to developing and \rgrowing a trusting relationship with clients. Let go of your fear \rof losing an account or not having the right answers. Leave all \ryour fears at the client or prospect¡¯s doorstep.

Other critical steps in cultivating trust are knowing who you are \rand knowing your potential value to your clients. The \rrelationship that forms because of this can have a tremendous \rimpact on your sales. People don¡¯t just buy from anyone. They buy \rfrom people they can trust. The rapport and credibility you can \restablish with the trust factor go a long way toward building a \rclient¡¯s confidence in your ability to meet his business needs.

Trust has both an active and a passive component in a business \rrelationship. The active feeling of trust is confidence in the \rleadership, veracity, and reliability of the other party, based \ron a track record of performance.

The passive feeling of trust is the absence of worry or \rsuspicion. This absence is sometimes unrecognized and frequently \rtaken for granted in our most productive relationships.

Building Trust With Care

So how do you build trust with clients? First, you need to care \rabout them. Obviously your clients care about your knowledge, \rexpertise, and accomplishments. However, they care even more \rabout the level of concern you have for them. Successful trust \rbuilding hinges on four actions: engaging, listening, framing, \rand committing. The trust factor can be realized once we \runderstand these components of trust and incorporate them in our \rdaily lives.

Engaging clients and prospects occurs when you show genuine \rconcern and interest in their business and its problems. Maintain \rgood eye contact and body posture. Good eye contact signifies \ropenness and honesty. And your body language and other forms of \rnonverbal communication speak volumes about your attitude toward \rthem. By the same token, you want to be cognizant of your \rclient¡¯s or prospect¡¯s eye contact and body language.

Listening with understanding and empathy is possible if you think \rclient focus first. Let the client tell his story. Put yourself \rin his shoes when you listen to his business concerns, purpose, vision, and desires. Show approval or understanding by nodding \ryour head and smiling during the conversation. Separate the \rprocess of taking in information from the process of judging it. \rJust suspend your judgment and focus on the client.

Framing what the client or prospect has said is the third action \rin trust building. Make sure you have formed an accurate \runderstanding of his problems and concerns. Confirm what you \rthink you heard by asking open-ended questions such as ¡°What do \ryou mean by that?¡± or ¡°Help me to understood the major production \rproblems you are experiencing.¡± After you have clarified the \rproblems, start to frame them in order of importance. By \ridentifying the areas in which you can help the client, you offer \rhim clarity in his own mind and continue to build his trust.

Committing is the final action for developing the trust factor. \rCommunicate enthusiastically your plan of action for solving the \rclient¡¯s problems. Help the client see what it will take to \rachieve the end result. Presumably, what you have said up to this \rpoint has been important, but what you do now¡ªhow you commit¡ªis \reven more important. Remember the old adage ¡°Action speaks louder \rthan words.¡± Show you want this client¡¯s business long term. \rComplete assignments and projects on budget and on time. Then \rfollow up with clients periodically to see how your partnership \ris faring.

In the final analysis, trust stems from keeping our word. If we \rsay we will be there for our clients, then we should honor that \rcommitment by being there. Trust results from putting the \rclient¡¯s best interest before our own, from being dependable, \rfrom being open and forthcoming with relevant information. It is \rimpossible to overestimate the power of the trust factor in our \rprofessional lives. Truly, trust is the basis of all enduring, \rlong-term business relationships.

Robert Moment is a best-selling author, business coach, \rstrategist and the founder of The Moment Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping small businesses win federal contracts. He just released his new book, It Only Takes a Moment to Score, \rand recently unveiled Sell Integrity, a small business tool that \rhelps you successfully sell your business idea. Learn more at: \rhttp://www.sellintegrity.com or email: Robert@sellintegrity.com.