Have you ever played that game where you cross your arms across your chest and fall backward trusting that your friends/colleagues have their arms outstretched and will actually catch you? I’ve seen this “game” of trust used at everything from summer camps for kids to team-building corporate events.

Trust is one of those things that’s vital for team building. It’s vital for collaboration. Trust is why anybody does anything. That’s how the institutions of the past came to be — that’s why banks are banks and you’re not keeping money under your mattress.

We often think about trust in relation to our families and friends, our colleagues — but what about the trust leaps we take with technology?

I recently listened to Rachel Botsman’s TED talk on how technology has changed the concept of trust. And, wow — what an eye-opener.

She explains that a trust shift is taking place in a landscape of rapidly evolving technologies, from AI to blockchain to the IoT.  She expands on something that we all know but are too scared to admit: “We are already putting our faith in algorithms rather than humans in our daily lives, whether it’s trusting Amazon’s recommendations on what to read or Netflix’s suggestions on what to watch.”

But this is just the beginning.

The idea that technology is accelerating the rate at which we take “trust leaps” isn’t groundbreaking — but, it’s one of those concepts that gives you an aha moment — particularly when you stop to think about all the technology trust leaps you’re taking daily.

Just as Rachel explained, we’re trusting Amazon’s recommendation on what to read. Netflix’s suggestion on what to watch. Apple Pay’s ability to keep our banking information safe.

This got me thinking … how can we, as companies, help our customers/clients feel comfortable trusting in our technology? How can we create a culture of trust that speaks through our brand?

HERE ARE SOME OF MY RAPID-FIRE THOUGHTS:

#1. Step Up Your Security — You must make customers feel safe when they do business with you.

#2. Consider Your Culture — Whether on social media or in person, consider what your company culture says about customers’ ability to trust you.

#3. Communicate — Are you telling customers why they can trust you? Communicate the steps you’ve taken to create a safe and trustworthy technology, as well as any updates you do.

#4. Improve Your Customer Service — Nothing is worse than feeling like you don’t have support. Make sure your customers can count on nothing short of exceptional customer service.

#5. Always Over-Deliver — When your customers feel like you’re always going out of your way to over-achieve and over-deliver, they can feel good about trusting you.

What’s your most recent trust leap with technology? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s carry this conversation over to my LinkedIn page.