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Hemingway famously wrote that the best way to tell if someone is trustworthy is to simply trust them. For most companies, especially in the technology industry, trust has historically been hedged by two key factors: security and compliance. I believe that this approach (almost identical to Hemingway’s advice) is not only outdated, but costs companies millions of dollars each year.
as chief trust officer, I’ve worked with dozens of companies in retail, software, and even biotech, helping them turn their trust into market-ready products. This approach has led to faster sales and higher customer satisfaction, but it requires an entirely new way of thinking and operating. And the reality is that most companies think about trust the wrong way. It’s not about piling up checkmarks on IT or compliance lists; it’s about trust. Enabling, protecting and creating real business value.
Technological, sociological, and even geopolitical forces are forcing us to reevaluate how we foster authenticity and trust. A world full of misinformation and deepfakes – I have been thinking about this challenge for a long time.
Simply put, if you need trust in your company or product to sell, you can turn it into a purposeful product based on evidence of how you run your business, and you can Have to. Here’s how to turn trust into a go-to-market product with great ROI (and why it’s more important than ever).
Trust has taken a hit
Due to cyber attacks, data breaches and online fraud, increased exponentially But cybersecurity isn’t the only thing causing trust issues. Edelman’s 2024 Confidence Barometer It was revealed that more than two-thirds of respondents believe that business leaders intentionally try to mislead people.
As companies such as Meta and Boeing are famous for, I made a headline for Catastrophic customer trust issues in recent years. In the software space, I’ve seen firsthand how the downstream effects of diminished trust can negatively impact companies, whether it’s costly audits and compliance checks, or long-term reputation devaluations.
For any business, thinking about trust as a product can be an invaluable way to streamline sales, increase revenue, and support core business metrics. And trust is really important in the grand scheme of things like: your company’s success: A trusted company shows: Perform 400% better than your competitors.
Build a new framework of trust
For most businesses, credibility is most scrutinized during the sales process. But I think companies need to start thinking and talking about trust long before they get to this stage. The reality is that trust must be a core part of running a business. Your customers care about it more than you think.
It starts with understanding exactly what your customers need and finding ways to ensure those needs are met by your organization’s practices and operations. The trust framework I use is:
1. Commercialize the process
Customers care about how your product is made, and they want to hear not only how you help the product succeed, but also how you address their problems (this is especially true for software This is the case, where prospective buyers need evidence of a secure process and predictable behavior to greenlight a purchase.
So how do we do this? Organize evidence of trustworthiness into relevant trust stories to prove to your customers why they can and should trust you. how You do what you do, whether it’s your approach to data storage practices, supply chain, or corporate governance. Accelerate sales and value creation by staying ahead of the curve and proactively removing potential trust friction.
2. Establish a trust shop
While security and compliance have traditionally belonged to the IT department, trust practices need to be more comprehensive, not to mention endorsed and adopted by a broad cross-section of enterprise leadership. Every part of the business, from operations to marketers to executives, needs to be talking about trust practices and telling trust stories.
And, of course, adding a chief trust officer to the team will inevitably accelerate investment in trust as a core value driver (and will also demonstrate the organization’s overall focus on trust). (Not to mention showing it to others).
3. Map to executive metrics
Like any other practice, you need to know if your trust practice is working. So how do we measure it? Use the same metrics as the CFO, such as customer acquisition cost, churn rate, and revenue impact.
Be sure to align your trust practices with business value metrics to gain executive buy-in. I have personally seen results that translate directly to executives, including faster time to close, increased revenue, and fewer (if any) disruptive audits.
The bottom line is that reliable companies and products have a good reputation in the market.
If trust plays a critical role in business outcomes, changing the way you think about trust and treating it as a product can ultimately add tremendous value. But what is the best measure of success? For most companies, the bottom line is that customers want to work with you because they truly trust your company. Masu. And the proof is in your trust product.