“If you’re going to work with someone and they’re going to give you access to their client base, they’re really going to have to trust you.” -Jeff Jacobs Trust is fundamental to any relationship and yet so many of us struggle to build long-lasting and trusting relationships. Expectation plays a key role in how trust is formed. When someone lets us down or fails to deliver on a promise, it shakes our faith in them. But more deeply, it shakes our faith in ourselves. After all, we put our faith and trust in that person or organization to deliver. When they don’t, we question our ability to make the right decisions going forward. This becomes a never-ending cycle of self-doubt and inconsistent trust-building activity. Jeff Jacobs, Director of Development at Wilkins Miller LLC, is this episode’s featured guest. His approach is a personal one that focuses on the team rather than the individual as the key to success. Building caring and trusting relationships with employees and clients, not just to leverage them later, but to learn how he might best help them reach their dreams. If you are struggling to build trust, consider how much of your intention is on what you want to get out of a client rather than on how you can improve their lives. When clients don’t feel valued, they are less likely to trust you to manage more of their needs. When was the last time you checked in on a client just to see how they are feeling or to ask them what you could be doing better? During this interview, you'll learn... The value of trust in long-lasting connections How to create strong business relationships The importance of keeping people in the loop  Click here to find out more about Jeff. Connect with him on LinkedIn. Time Stamps 02:09 - Jeff talks about his career journey  08:52 - Why building trust matters  10:50 - Creating centers of influence  13:54 - Overcoming the obstacles of industry  16:02 - Find the way that works for you 20:29 - Keeping people in the loop 22:06 - Delivering a quality offering  24:22 - Building strong business relationships 33:28 - How to get in touch with Jeff  This episode is brought to you by our good friends at Pure Bookkeeping! If you want to grow your bookkeeping business, get back your time, be more efficient and have confidence that your work is best practice, you need proven systems, processes and standard operating procedures. That’s what Pure Bookkeeping offers. To find out more, visit PureBookkeeping.com TODAY!