Trust is the foundation of relationships, and yet sometimes, without intending to, we can prevent trust from developing. Trust doesn’t happen through flashy presentations and gifts. Instead, it’s often built brick by brick in the smallest of moments. To do this, use the four C’s of trust, which are communication, competence, consistency and care.
Communication
This means I’m being honest and transparent with teams and clients. When things are going well, communicate it. When things are going poorly, communicate it. When there’s something that is uncertain ahead, communicate it.
Competence
Trust is built through our knowledge and skills, and you have that. But here’s where I think trust is really built. Trust is also built when I say, “I don’t have all the answers.” There is so much information that you need to know to help your clients. You’ll build trust faster and better when you’re willing to say, “I don’t know, but let’s figure this out together.”
Consistency
Consistency means that we’re showing up, time and time again. It means that our words match our actions. People can’t trust what they can’t predict.
Care
You could be the most competent, consistent communicator, but if you don’t care about the people in front of you, nothing matters. Care, to me, isn’t a matter of becoming best friends with someone or having all of the knowledge about their life. What it does mean is that I care about their progress, I care about their trajectory, I care about them as people. Maybe I do know a couple of personal things about them, but if we don’t show that to them, they don’t know.
Trust audit
To make sure we’re always evolving in these areas, do a trust audit. Look at the four C’s, and rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10. Then focus on one area each week where there’s an action you can take to evolve further.
Here are some examples of simple actions you can take:
- Give your team a weekly update about how things are going.
- Ask people for input, and let them know you value their opinion.
- Show up on time for meetings, and follow through on emails and phone calls.
- Remember a personal detail about a team member or client. Maybe you know their kid has a sporting event, and you ask a follow-up question about it.
You would be shocked at how much of an impact small actions make to build trust. And without trust, we can’t build great teams or client relationships.
Rachel DeAlto is a leadership and communication keynote speaker who helps organizations build trust, workplace connection and engaged teams. This is an excerpt from her 2025 MDRT EDGE presentation, “The relatable leader: Building trust and connection in your practice.” (MDRT member-exclusive video)
For more MDRT member-exclusive trust-building ideas, read
