How to Build Trust
How to build trust during your SQE and QWE journey?
There is a lot of research out there on how to build trust. The trusted advisor even has trust down to a formula, called the trust equation.
Before other people trust you, you need to trust others!
At SQE Journey we talk a lot about pass rates, prep provider, SQE strategy and tips. However, above that sits something more fundamental. Trust!
Trust is what:
- Makes a supervisor comfortable delegating real work to you
- Turns a networking call into a friend
- Makes someone say, “I’d work with them again.”
It’s the real competitive advantage.
4 elements to help build trust
1. Be You, Be Real
People want to connect with people who are honest and fair. Become a trusted resource. The legal profession is full of tradition and hierarchy. It’s tempting to sound more polished, (over) confident, more “lawyer like” than you feel. People trust consistency. Don’t change tones depending on who you are speaking with. Authenticity builds predictability and predictability builds trust.
2. Be active
Trust grows from visible effort. Respond timely to people, do the prep work. Small, repeated actions signal reliability and over time that reliability compounds.
Be teachable. You don’t know everything and you are not always right.
3. know your stuff
You don’t need to know everything. However, when you speak, speak grounded. Preparation is a form of respect. It tells others you value their time and the responsibility they’ve given you. Depth of knowledge beats surface level confidence. Share your knowledge by teaching.
Understand:
- What problem are you solving?
- Who are you solving it for?
- Why should they work with you?
Be the person that people know that can get the job done.
4. Communicate with Purpose
Clear beats clever. Structured beats scattered. Your job is to reduce confusion, not create it, every interaction, answer, email, or client note, be clear and concise.
Speak and write in language that your client understands. Communicate to help your client solve their problems. After all, the legal profession is a people business.
TLDR
The SQE will test your knowledge. The legal profession will test your character. If you build trust deliberately, with supervisors, peers, and yourself. You stop chasing opportunities and opportunities will come to you.
