I was reminded of this again recently while shopping for a new car. Working with a local car dealer, I had narrowed my choice down to the same model of car with two different color schemes. He didn’t have the cars in stock but said he could get them. A week later, he emailed me and said he had both cars in for me to see.
My wife and I made the 45-minute drive to the dealership, to find that only one of the two cars I wanted to see was there. The salesman expressed shock that he had the wrong car and when I asked for the other one, he explained “There are none of those available around here.”
I went home, quite angry at having had my time wasted, and found the car I wanted elsewhere. My original salesman contacted me and asked if I was still in the market for a car, and when I explained I had purchased from another dealer and the car was being delivered, he said “You and I both know a signature doesn’t matter until you take delivery of the car.”
Hmmm…
So now I’ve got a salesman who misled me about the cars he has telling me that my signature on a legal document doesn’t matter. And he expects me to trust HIM?
When working with anyone, whether in a volunteer role or some kind of paid engagement, trust is absolutely essential. The highest compliment my clients pay me is when they tell me how much they trust my advice. As one of my testimonials points out, “Wes presents multiple options for action, including those that would not necessarily increase our business levels with him.” (See here) That, my friends, is what trust looks like.