Trust arises from authenticity

Today, trust is everything. In our online, hyper-connected world, we create (mostly) digital relationships, communicating with each other across time and space.

A lot of our transactions are now done online, particularly the transaction of buying and selling. This means that in a world where human contact is minimised, trust is the new currency.

Trust has to be present in order for you to buy, or invest in someone. This means that you need to feel that the person you are entering into a transaction with, is genuine and authentic. But how do you know that when you're sat miles away, behind a computer, iPad or phone?

Well, a lot of it is about how that brand presents itself. I've noticed that authenticity and integrity are becoming key values that are becoming more important in business, and indeed society itself, as we struggle to sort through who is real and who is false in our new digital age.

When it comes to ourselves, we must refrain from hiding behind a mask, or being who other people want us to be. That hurts both parties- it hurts you because you're not being yourself, and it hurts the other party because they're getting cheated out of a genuine human connection.

More and more brands are becoming successful by opening up and telling their story- their personal journey of how they came to be, the struggles and triumphs along the way. They don't cover up their mistakes. They don't pretend to be someone they're not.

Yet, they attract more and more interest from the public, because they stand out in a world where truth is hard to discern, and integrity of character is what we all want to believe in. 

Trust, in whatever form, arises from being willing to be fearlessly open; from being willing to share, and willing to connect on an emotional level.

Trust arises for the person you're transacting with when you know who you are as a business or an individual, and aren't afraid to show it. You live your values, and you are who you say you are.