What is trust? According to Dictionary.com it is "reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence". For me, it was always about the three R's of modern day; respect, relevance and reward.

So what does this tell us when we attempt to tackle the subject of building customer relationships through trust? Quite simply, that the definition of trust is dependent upon one's frame of reference and personal needs at the time that 'trust' is required. If only it was that simple; new technology has dramatically complicated the equation.

If we consider the definition of trust in the context of purchasing goods and services, we can understand the growing popularity of social networking, review sites and plain old blogs. It seems the old adage 'People buy from people' has always held its ground. After all, we are all customers; we go through life seeking the information we need to make good decisions and wise purchases. We have to trust that the information is valid. All that has actually changed is the medium by which we communicate - conversing across geographical boundaries, anytime of night or day about any particular topic of our choice, has become available via ...