The Trust Edge

(SUMMARY) The Trust Edge by David Horsager

To differentiate yourself from a crowded marketplace, building trust is your greatest competitive advantage. We know this to be true because when you breach trust, it will cost your company billions of dollars. Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Mario Batali-Joseph Bastianich and, most recently, Domino's Pizza are just some examples.

In David Horsager's book, the 8 pillars of trust - all are equally important - includes:
1) Clarity - being clear with your intentions and message
2) Compassion - put your customer's/client's needs before your own
3) Character - do what is right not what is easy
4) Competency - become an expert in a field by continual learning
5) Commitment - identify values/skills that are important to you and master them
6) Connection - magnetic traits include gratitude, humility and authenticity
7) Contribution - of course, you cannot build trust with your customer/client without desired results
8) Consistency - good or bad, be consistent

David uses Caribou Coffee as a company that exhibit all 8 pillars to build a strong brand - only #2 to Starbucks - and a loyal following. Caribou Coffee has a foundational acronym that drives their success, it is as follows:
B - Be excellent
A - Act with urgency
M - Make a connection
A - Anticipate needs

How can trust help grow your business?