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Hemingway famously wrote that the best way to determine whether someone is trustworthy is simply to trust them. In most companies, especially in technology, trust has historically been secured by two main factors: security and compliance. I believe this approach (much like Hemingway's advice) is not only outdated, but also costs companies millions every year.
As Chief Trust Officer, I've worked with dozens of companies in retail, software, and even biotech, helping them turn their trust into a product they can bring to market. This approach has led to faster sales and higher customer satisfaction, but it requires a whole new way of thinking and working. And the reality is that most companies are thinking about trust the wrong way: It's not about racking up checkmarks on an IT or compliance list—it's about enabling, defending, and creating real business value.
At a time when technological, sociological, and even geopolitical forces are pushing us to reevaluate authenticity and foster trust in a world filled with misinformation and deep fakes, I've been thinking a lot about this challenge.
Put simply, if selling requires trust in your company or product, you can and must transform it into a conscious product based on evidence about how you run your business. Here's how to turn trust into a go-to-market product with significant ROI (and why it's never been more important):
Trust suffers
Cyberattacks, data breaches and online fraud have increased exponentially in recent years, but it's not just cybersecurity that is causing trust issues. Edelman's 2024 Trust Barometer found that more than two-thirds of respondents believe leaders intentionally try to mislead people.
Companies like Meta and Boeing have famously made headlines in recent years for devastating customer trust issues. In the software sector, I have seen firsthand how the downstream effects of declining trust can negatively impact organizations, whether through costly audits and compliance reviews or by hurting their long-term valuation.
No matter your business, viewing trust as a product can be an invaluable way to streamline sales, increase revenue, and support core business metrics. And trust is really important to the success of your business: trustworthy companies are proven to outperform their competitors by 400%.
Building a new framework of trust
For most companies, trustworthiness is tested most heavily during the sales process. But I believe that companies need to start thinking and talking about trust long before they reach this stage. The reality is that trust needs to be a core part of how you run your business, and customers care more about it than you think.
The best place to start is to understand exactly what your customer needs – and then find ways to ensure those needs are met through your organization's processes and procedures. Here's the trust framework I use:
1. Productize your process
Customers care about how your product is made – and they want to know as much about how you deal with problems as they do about how you help them succeed (this is especially true for software, where potential buyers need evidence of secure processes and trustworthy, predictable behavior to give the green light for a purchase).
So how do you do that? Condense evidence of your trustworthiness into relevant trust stories that show your customers why they can and should trust your approach – whether it's insight into your data storage practices, your supply chain, or your approach to business management. By staying ahead of the curve and proactively eliminating the possibility of trust conflicts, you can accelerate sales and value creation.
2. Set up a trust shop
While security and compliance have traditionally been part of IT, a trust practice needs to be much more holistic – not to mention advocated for and adopted by a wide range of business leaders. Every part of your company – from operations to marketers to leadership – should talk about your trust practices and tell your trust stories.
And of course, adding a Chief Trust Officer to your team will inevitably accelerate investment in trust as a core value driver (not to mention demonstrate to others the importance you place on trust as a whole).
3. Mapping to C-suite metrics
As with any practice, you need to know whether your fiduciary practice is working. How do you measure it? Use the same metrics as your CFO, e.g. B. Impact or influence on customer acquisition costs, customer churn and sales.
Make sure you align your trust practices with business value metrics that receive management buy-in. I have personally seen results that speak directly to executives, such as reduced time to close deals, increased revenue, and fewer (if any) disruptive audits.
The conclusion: Trustworthy companies and products have a high status on the market.
When trust plays a critical role in your business results, changing your mindset – and treating it as a product – can ultimately add tremendous value. But the best measure of success? For most businesses, it's important to know that your customers ultimately want to work with you because your company is truly trustworthy. And that proof lies in your trust product.
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