How to Build Trust with a GM

Trust doesn't come from your accomplishments. It comes from quiet moves like these: For years I thought I needed more experience, achievements, and wins to earn trust. But real trust isn't built through credentials. It's earned in small moments, consistent choices, and subtle behaviors that others notice - even when you think they don't. Here are 15 quiet moves that instantly build trust 👇🏼 1. You close open loops, catching details others miss ↳ Send 3-bullet wrap-ups after meetings. Reliability builds. 2. You name tension before it gets worse ↳ Name what you sense: "The energy feels different today" 3. You speak softly in tense moments ↳ Lower your tone slightly when making key points. Watch others lean in. 4. You stay calm when others panic, leading with stillness ↳ Take three slow breaths before responding. Let your calm spread. 5. You make space for quiet voices ↳ Ask "What perspective haven't we heard yet?", then wait. 6. You remember and reference what others share ↳ Keep a Key Details note for each relationship in your phone. 7. You replace "but" with "and" to keep doors open ↳ Practice "I hear you, and here's what's possible" 8. You show up early with presence and intention ↳ Close laptop, turn phone face down 2 minutes before others arrive. 9. You speak up for absent team members ↳ Start with "X made an important point about this last week" 10. You turn complaints into possibility ↳ Replace "That won't work" with "Let's experiment with..." 11. You build in space for what really matters ↳ Block 10 min buffers between meetings. Others will follow. 12. You keep small promises to build trust bit by bit ↳ Keep a "promises made" note in your phone. Track follow-through. 13. You protect everyone's time, not just your own ↳ End every meeting 5 minutes early. Set the standard. 14. You ask questions before jumping to fixes ↳ Lead with "What have you tried so far?" before suggesting solutions. 15. You share credit for wins and own responsibility for misses ↳ Use "we" for successes, "I" for challenges. Watch trust grow. Your presence speaks louder than your resume. Trust is earned in these quiet moments. Which move will you practice first? Share below 👇🏼 -- ♻️ Repost to help your network build authentic trust without the struggle 🔔 Follow me Dr. Carolyn Frost for more strategies on leading with quiet impact

Without trust, nothing moves in negotiation. Few negotiators have a strategy to build it. You’ll learn six proven moves to build trust, even when time is short or stakes are high. I’ve helped corporate leaders negotiate high-stakes deals in over 30 countries, where trust builds access and leverage. In high-trust negotiations, joint gains increase by over 40%, according to research. Trust isn’t a luxury in negotiation. It’s your license to operate. Yet we often rush the process: ✔ Withhold information ✔ Play it safe ✔ Miss the bigger win Here are six concrete moves from Harvard's PON (Program on Negotiation) to build trust quickly, even with strangers: 1️⃣ Speak their language: Not just industry lingo. Show cultural fluency and listen for nuance. A single word misunderstood can knock you out. 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Prep to show curiosity, not ignorance. 2️⃣ Use your reputation: If trust isn’t built yet, borrow it. Share your track record or get an intro from someone they trust. 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Third-party validation can break early resistance. 3️⃣ Make dependence visible: Highlight how you both need each other to win. Scarcity fosters cooperation; just don’t overplay it. 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Say, "Here’s what only we can offer you." 4️⃣ Offer a no-strings concession: Low cost to you, high value to them? That’s the trust jackpot. 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Gift first, then negotiate. 5️⃣ Label every concession: If you don’t say it’s a concession, they won’t treat it like one. 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Spell out what it costs you and why it matters. 6️⃣ Explain your demands: People default to assuming the worst. A clear rationale for your ask makes you seem fair. 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Even if they don’t like it, they’ll trust it. Trust isn’t a feeling, it’s the outcome of visible, intentional behavior. Which of these six trust-builders do you use most, and which one do you forget? Let me know in the comments. Save this list for your next tough negotiation. ♻️ Share if this made you rethink how you build trust. 

Trust isn’t built with grand gestures. → It’s built in quiet moments. → One honest word at a time. Most leaders think they need bold moves to earn loyalty. But that’s not how trust works. I’ve spent years studying how leaders build real relationships. Here’s what I’ve learned: The right words, said honestly, can change any conversation. 🔑Here are 15 simple phrases that build trust fast (and why they work): “I appreciate your perspective on this.” ↳ People want to feel seen. ↳ This tells them they matter. “Help me understand…” ↳ Curiosity invites connection. ↳ No judgment. Just listening. “I made a mistake - and here’s what I learned.” ↳ Vulnerability builds respect. ↳ People trust real, not perfect. “What would success look like for you?” ↳ Shows you care about their goals. ↳ Not just your agenda. “I noticed the impact you made when…” ↳ Specific praise hits deeper. ↳ It’s fuel for motivation. “What do you think we should do?” ↳ People back what they help build. ↳ It sparks ownership. “Let me clarify to make sure I understood…” ↳ Listening is an underrated superpower. ↳ This shows you’re actually doing it. “Thank you for bringing this up.” ↳ Appreciation = safety. ↳ It keeps the door open. “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” ↳ Honesty beats confidence theater. ↳ People can smell fake. “What support do you need from me?” ↳ Leading also means serving. ↳ This opens space for trust. “Your time is valuable - let’s focus on priorities.” ↳ Respecting time builds loyalty. ↳ Everyone feels overbooked. “Here’s what I’m excited about…” ↳ Energy is contagious. ↳ Share yours to lift others. “I trust your judgment on this.” ↳ Trust given is often returned. ↳ It empowers action. “Let’s explore the challenges you’re seeing.” ↳ It’s you with them, not above them. “I’m committed to finding a way forward together.” ↳ Commitment is louder than certainty. 👉 Words don’t cost much. But they mean everything. Which phrase will you use this week? Drop it in the comments ⬇️ — ♻️ Repost to share with someone working on building trust. 🔖 Follow Véronique Barrot or more like this. -- 📌 📌 📌2 years ago, my profile stood empty. No followers. Now 100, 000+ people follow what I share here. I’ve spent 100s of hours studying what works (and doesn't). Get the LinkedIn Visibility Playbook - Free. Send me a DM "LinkedIn Visibility", and I’ll send it to you right away!

The day I finally understood how trust really works, everything changed for me as a CSM. In my first Customer Success role, our leader had us read a book before our team offsite: The Trusted Advisor. Short. Simple. Game-changing. Inside was something that flipped a switch for me, the Trust Equation: Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy / Self-Orientation For the first time, trust wasn’t a feeling, it was something I could build intentionally. So I made a move, and this changed how I worked with customers: I wrote each element of the equation into their account. And every engagement became a chance, an opportunity to build on trust with purpose. Here’s what that looked like in real life ✅ Credibility Know your stuff. Speak with clarity. Bring insights, not just product updates. → When a customer asks how to achieve a specific outcome in your product and you clearly walk them through 2-3 workflows that get them there. → When they ask, “What are other customers like us doing?” and you give just the right amount of relevant context and detail. ✅ Reliability Do what you say you’ll do. No surprises. No dropped balls. → You follow through after every meeting. → You send the recap. → You make the intro. → You deliver on that one thing they asked for, even if it seemed minor. ✅ Intimacy Be human. Build connection. Care about what matters to them. → You remember their kid’s name. → You know they’re prepping for a board meeting next week and ask how it’s going. → You lead with empathy, not agendas. 🚫 Self-Orientation Don’t make it about you. Ever. → You don’t flex your product knowledge to sound smart, you share what helps them win. → You don’t push your goals, you stay focused on theirs. Every CSM wants trusted relationships. Not every CSM builds them on purpose. This equation gave me a new level of intention. What’s one small way you can build more trust? ________________________ 📩 If you liked this post, you'll love The Journey. Head over to my profile and join the thousands of CS professionals who are along for the ride as I share stories and learnings going from CSM to CCO.