Trust enables every human exchange. Our society can’t function without it. The belief we have in each other’s promises is so great that it even transcends our immediate circle in the physical world. We order books, book hotel rooms and ride in cars with strangers on the word of others who have recommended them.

Trust is also the foundation of every business. A business is not merely an organisation that creates value or exchanges goods and services for money. It is the promises we make to our customers in return for their trust. When we put a price on a pair of running shoes or a PayPal button on our website, we’re inviting people not just to buy something, but to trust that we will deliver on the promises we’ve made to them.

The first and last goal of every business is to make promises and then to keep them.

What are you promising your customers? And how are you ensuring those promises are kept?

Image by Alexander Redl & Unsplash.