When it comes to the stuff that strong relationships are made of, there is no more precious commodity than trust. It takes time to establish and can be broken in a heartbeat. But those who achieve the highest levels have demonstrated over and over again the same patterns of behavior that make building trust look easy. Be reliable. Fundamental to trust is reliability. If you say you'll do something, you'll do it.

People today are bombarded with messages from morning until night. We can't check email or drive to the store without seeing flashing banners, mostly aimed at selling us something. Today's consumers are experts at tuning these messages out, leaving salespeople with an important question: Do you ensure your message is seen and heard? Connecting with clients today is often about building trust. Here's where you can start.

The Edelman trust barometer measures levels of trust in governments, businesses, NGOs, and media around the world. Nearly 50% of all respondents viewed government and media as divisive sources in society. Fake news concerns are at an all-time high, fears are on the rise, and businesses must lead in breaking the cycle of distrust.