Think of someone you follow, read about, watch on television, or subscribe to, but have never met and had a conversation with. However, even though you have never met them in person, you somehow trust them.
That sounds crazy, but you do!
In doing research for this article and interviewing people from many generations, one name that came up frequently was Oprah Winfrey.
With nearly 10 million views on some of her talk show episodes, she has been a popular media figure for decades. Most of us have never met her but have followed her career over the years. And while there are some who may question her intrinsic trustworthiness, many of Oprah’s millions of fans worldwide respect and trust her, even though they have never met her.
Why is that?
Part of Oprah’s appeal and perceived trustworthiness is due to how much of her personal life she has divulged to the world, showing her honesty and vulnerability [read this HBR article called “Today’s leaders need vulnerability, not Bravado.]
She has freely shared stories about her personal struggle with weight, the abuse she experienced as a child, and how much she has conquered as an African-American woman climbing up the corporate entertainment and journalism ladder. No matter what our backgrounds are, there’s a part of us that can connect with her, even if we did not face similar challenges.
Another reason for the high level of trust she has gained with her followers can be attributed to her amazing communication skills. She speaks with power and confidence, and knows how to energize her audience. The word “monotone” would never be used to describe her!
And obviously part of the trust she has earned is due to the in-depth knowledge she has about her guests and the issues that she supports. She knows her information. But the knowledge she has is no different than her producers and directors.
Heck, there are A LOT of others who probably know more than her. But when we are measuring and judging people around perceived trust, if we ask someone to choose between those anonymous smart people and Oprah, most would select the latter.
We’ve demonstrated the 3 ways Oprah has gained the trust of her audience over the years - vulnerability, communication and knowledge - but there are 9 more elements that determine how easily we trust.
You can read more about the 12 Building Blocks of Trust and how you can use them to grow your business (hyperlink to How Understanding the Building Blocks of Trust Can Help You Grow Your Business) here.
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