Building trust

Trust is the foundation of every business relationship, and rational considerations should guide decisions—or so goes the classical assumption. Yet in practice, it becomes evident that people who trust a source often adopt its statements unreflectively, ignore contradictions, and question less critically. The question is: How strongly does existing trust influence information processing? Under what conditions are critical examinations suspended—and what evidence exists about this phenomenon?

Studies

Source Credibility and Persuasion

In 1995, Joseph Priester and Richard Petty conducted a series of experiments at Ohio State University examining how trust influences information processing. They asked 160 students to read an article about a new coffee brand from either Consumer Reports (high credibility) or an unknown supermarket magazine (low credibility). The article contained either strong or weak arguments. The surprising result: when credibility was high, argument quality barely mattered—both versions proved equally persuasive. When credibility was low, however, strong versus weak arguments made a significant difference. Participants processed information from trusted sources more peripherally, meaning with less critical analysis. Measurements of cognitive effort revealed that trust reduced thinking about content by approximately 40%.

Goodwill and Perceived Caring

In 1999, James McCroskey and Jason Teven at West Virginia University investigated how different dimensions of trust influence message acceptance. They asked 235 students to evaluate fictitious speakers across three trust dimensions: competence, integrity, and benevolence. The students then listened to these speakers argue for a tuition fee increase. The result: benevolence (perceived goodwill) was the strongest predictor of uncritical acceptance—stronger than competence or integrity. Speakers whom participants believed had their best interests at heart received 73% agreement, even when presenting weak arguments. When competence was high but benevolence was low, agreement dropped to just 34%. People primarily suspend critical thinking when they believe the source has good intentions toward them.

Principle

Which principle for Customer Experience Design can be derived from this? Trust acts as a powerful cognitive switch that significantly reduces critical evaluation of messages, paving the way for effortless acceptance. Companies that systematically build trust benefit from dramatically reduced persuasion effort, as customers question their communications less and follow recommendations more willingly. However, this effect reaches its full impact only through consistent experiences—even a few trust violations can nullify the painstakingly built advantage and trigger heightened skepticism. In complex or uncertain decision-making situations especially, people rely heavily on trust as a guide, while in simple or highly important decisions, critical examination persists despite existing trust. The following guidelines demonstrate how to implement this principle concretely.

Guidelines

Demonstrate competence before selling

Build trust before you sell. Offer valuable content, free consultations, or tools that solve real problems—without any immediate sales intent. When customers experience your competence before you ask for anything, they scrutinize later offers less critically. A financial advisor who first provides free webinars on retirement planning will face less resistance when making recommendations later.

Transparency in conflicts of interest

Address conflicts of interest proactively before customers discover them on their own. Disclose when you receive commissions or have a preference for your own products. This transparency paradoxically strengthens trust: it signals that you prioritize the customer's interests over quick sales. Insurance agents who openly state, "I earn more with Product A, but Product B is probably better for you," are perceived as more trustworthy.

Keeping consistent small promises

Trust builds through the reliable fulfillment of small promises. Each confirmation reinforces the expectation that you deliver what you say. Send newsletters exactly at the announced time. Respond within the communicated timeframe. Keep your commitments to callbacks. These micro-consistencies create a foundation of trust that reduces skepticism during larger decisions.

Explicitly communicate goodwill

Demonstrate clearly that you prioritize the customer's interests above your own. Instead of saying "We offer X," frame it as "To help you achieve Y, we developed X." Actively discourage purchases when they aren't a good fit. Ask about goals before presenting solutions. Benevolence is the strongest driver of trust—even stronger than competence. Customers who believe you have their best interests at heart question your recommendations 40% less.