The 30/70 Rule To Gaining Someone's Trust

This 70/30 rule, in all its simplicity, is about reminding people that if they need backing for an idea or project, they must put 30 percent of their effort into creating a personal and trusting relationship with their conversations partners, customers and any potential stakeholders.

Relationships are formed based on these:

• Your ability to tap into your EQ or Emotional Intelligence (your EQ manages mutual trust and chemistry between you and others)
• Your current power base or your existing networks
• Your current and future skills (Your potential)
• Your ability to identify what the other person can get out of forming a relationship with you (it's not all about you can get from the other person)

Do you want to test the 70/30 rule on your life? When I need to familiarize people and build trust with them, I refrain from talking about my job, education, directorships, and the likes. That only describes what I have done with my time on earth and does not say much about who I am as a human being. If you talk about work, make sure you align it with a story from your life, such as how the Stanford professor explained why he has dedicated his entire life to economics. That said, you should aim to developed a strong bond with the person you wish to gain trust. 

Do you want to test the 70/30 rule on your life? When I need to familiarize people and build trust with them, I refrain from talking about my job, education, directorships, and the likes. That only describes what I have done with my time on earth and does not say much about who I am as a human being. If you talk about work, make sure you align it with a story from your life, such as how the Stanford professor explained why he has dedicated his entire life to economics. That said, you should aim to developed a strong bond with the person you wish to gain trust. 

Once people are convinced that you are a "good" person, they go far in their quest to understand your business, become consumers and even recommend you to their network, friends and family. Show people who you are and what you stand for more than your credentials or what you can "sell" them.

Therefore, you should use the time you spend with someone efficiently—and you do not do that by exchanging some chit chat about the weather. Before you meet a person, research a little bit about him or her; find out what kind of person he or she is. Do you have anything in common with them?

In today's world, you can quickly get a lot of information about someone by doing a quick Google—this is just a small effort, but it pays off many times.