You know you need to do a better job with some aspect of relationship-building—like be more proactive with your client reach-outs—but you don’t do it. Repeatedly. Why is that? Keep reading to find out the (likely) real reason, and the best remedy.

We all know that bumper sticker, “Sh—happens.” Sometimes things don’t go well. Occasionally it’s even your fault. How masterful are you at trust recovery when that’s the case? Rate yourself using these six keys to find out.

A competency model won’t answer the mail when it comes to building trustworthiness—in fact, there’s risk in attempting to reduce trust to a series of behavioral definitions. At the same time, there is value in culling down the essential skills of a trusted advisor to a practical number. Charlie Green and I specifically identified five in The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook. Heads up:  each skill is at risk of being easily dismissed as too basic to merit your attention. Don’t be fooled.

Adam Grant shares a compelling story in his book Originals: How Nonconformists Move the World, from which every single person who has ever attempted to be influential can learn. The big lesson within it flies in the face of just about every piece of wisdom out there on how to be compelling and build others’ confidence in you—which is, of course, why I love it so much.

I have yet to meet someone in a consultative role who doesn’t understand—and even extoll—the virtues of listening. I have also yet to meet someone who doesn’t have room to improve, including myself. Today’s tip features a four-point assessment to help you hone your listening skill.

Leading workshops on how to build lasting, trust-based relationships requires me to interact with new people all the time. In fact, I’m preparing to meet 54 strangers on Thursday. To be effective I have to strive to model all the interpersonal skills I espouse … always. So, you’ll appreciate the irony when I say I really hate meeting new people. And whether you’re like me or not, there’s a lesson I’ve learned about managing this conundrum that applies to us all.

Just yesterday I heard a workshop participant utter something I hear all the time. During closing reflections on the day he said, “As much as I hate role plays, what we did was really helpful.” Read on to find out why you should pay attention to that comment, and why the phrase, “Don’t try this at home” definitely does not apply when it comes to role-playing … and trust building.

I learned something from a recent experience at a luxury hotel chain about how not to ask for feedback if you really want feedback. It occurs to me that the lesson applies to anyone who would benefit from honest customer input.

I once led a day-long program on trust-based selling to 26 men and women at a global market intelligence firm. We were knee-deep in a conversation about empathetic listening as a primary driver of influence. One of the women—a strong and articulate leader—pulled me aside to ask a question that got me thinking about a serious issue that faces anyone in a leadership role.