I know so little about the world, as I have been hyper focused on only a few aspects of life. I always felt like my trusting nature was a hindrance in the business world, and that I was less of an employee than the hyper critical distrusting individuals that always seem to be doing better than myself.
I believed them for a while.
I do not believe them anymore.
I realized that while my trusting nature can prevent me from climbing ladders in some organizations or keep me from learning at the level of detail some aspect of business or another, It is also a great tool of enablement. I am able to ask development to get a job done as I prepare a test for example. I trust they take care of the task and QA it well. This means I am able to spend my time planning ahead.
In the book “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen R. Covey, a story is told about decision-makers forming a verbal contract and successfully launching a new product together -resulting in millions of dollars gained, even though they had not formalized everything yet. because they chose to trust, they were able to advance quickly.
This could be why small startups make such a stir in the tech markets, because they are not burdened down by distrust.
Not all people are trustworthy, but I am now of the opinion that my trusting nature can be an asset to me. I refuse to think less than the most of others, and while I will get burned now and then, in diverse ways, I will have more wins than losses – and ultimately encounter more happiness and friendship along the way.
What does all this have to do with optimization and conversion?
Believe your users are trying to make good decisions and you will find that you optimize for your target audience, with improved messaging, and your revenue will climb.
Disclaimer – I have no affiliation with Stephen R. Covey or his book. I just think it is worth talking about.
Scientific Web Optimization 