Trust is a tricky thing, we give it away every single day to a bunch of people we don't know. From when we drive on the roads, to when someone makes our lunch. We trust people to do some of the most mundane every day things that we forget how easy it is to trust.
Trusting people to do the tasks that we are very capable of doing comes easy to us. But releasing some of our fear and trusting people to do things for us when we are unfamiliar with the rules is even more difficult. Particularly when it's a big purchase. I get it! I am right there with you.
Well then how can we trust people when we are making those big purchases? I have found some useful ways in making this happen that have worked for us. From a recent home, car and engagement ring (my fiance purchased :-) ) purchase, we have some tried and true ways that make this process easier and more productive.
TRUST: How to build trust with your vendors?
ONE
Do your research! It is WAY to easy now to Google it. Do some key word searches and get to reading. Particularly with creative vendors. Read some reviews, go to their website, facebook and instagram and see what they have going on. Evaluate what is important to you. Do you like their style, their consistency, their voice on social media platforms?
TWO
Ask your currently booked vendors. Yes your friend might have referred you, but continue to ask about them before booking. See what we have to say about them. Your friend's wedding was one day... we as fellow vendors see them every single weekend. ASK US. Ask specific questions of things YOU specifically need. For example: It is important for me that people are kind, so I ask about people's character and consistency. I believe that with those two things I can get the best from people.
THREE
10,000 hours. Make sure that the vendor you are choosing has their 10,000 hours in the task you are asking them to perform. It is said that it takes 10,000 hours for someone to master a skill. It's an estimated 5 years (spending 40hrs a week). I don't think that's much to ask from a professional. But I specifically mention this one as it requires the vendor to know weddings and events not just flowers (for us flower designers specifically). It's a whole other monkey to understand the specifics about weddings and events.
Why does Trust Matter?
I read this quote today from one of my favorite entrepreneur friends and I thought I would share as I have never been able to eloquently say this:
"When we nickel and dime people providing a service, trying to get the most while paying the least, we will almost always lose out. While some people may consciously give less, I believe that even those who want to give their all will lose enthusiasm for the project. For this reason, I prefer to pay people what they're worth and give them a reasonable amount of time to complete the job. They're happy and I'm happy!"
Help those providing a service for you not loose enthusiasm. We are professions in a human body. We can not deny that the way people treat us impact our work. Give those people you hire all your trust and then watch them provide you the best service they are capable of. I can honestly say that I was one of those people that could not fully trust people when making a big purchase. After owning a business and seeing how it affects moral I have changed my ways. We can all do our part in growing and changing our mindset of how we treat those people who we chose to trust.