Trust in the Age of AI: A New Mandate for GTM leaders

In an era where artificial intelligence and rapid digital transformation are reshaping industries, trust has emerged as a pivotal factor in business success.

A recent PwC survey highlights a significant trust gap: while 90% of business executives believe customers highly trust their companies, only 30% of consumers actually do. This 60-point discrepancy underscores the urgency for businesses to not only build but also accurately assess and maintain trust with their stakeholders. (Harvard Law Corporate Governance Blog)

At Real Growth Collective, we believe real growth is rooted in clarity, confidence, and community. We empower modern go-to-market teams to move with insight and integrity. But today, even the most sophisticated GTM strategies are at risk of falling short if they fail to build one critical currency: trust.

And that’s where the Trust Equation comes in.

Why the Trust Equation matters

Originally developed by Maister, Green, and Galford, the Trust Equation is a framework that breaks trust down into four measurable dimensions:

Trust = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) / Self-Orientation

This model is human-centered. It’s actionable. And it puts customer orientation at the heart of business success.

Let’s break it down:

• Credibility: Do your words and expertise carry weight?
• Reliability: Do your actions consistently match your promises?
• Intimacy: Do your clients feel safe, understood, and valued?
• Self-Orientation: Are you acting in their best interest, or your own?

For GTM leaders, this equation is a blueprint for influence. It's how you earn confidence from your buyers, loyalty from your teams, and momentum in the market. But there’s a new variable on the rise.

Enter AI: Accelerant or erosion? Generative AI is reshaping how sales and marketing team’s work. From hyper-personalized outreach to predictive analytics, from content creation to real-time insights. It promises scale, speed, and smarts. But if not deployed wisely, it risks eroding the very trust we seek to build.

Let’s explore how AI interacts with each element of the Trust Equation:

1. Credibility in the AI era: AI can supercharge your insights. But credibility now hinges on how you use it. Are your claims grounded in truth or automated hype? Are your bots enhancing human intelligence or replacing it?

A recent KPMG study found that 57% of employees using AI at work conceal it from their bosses, highlighting a lack of governance, understanding, and trust.
Source

RGC insight: Use AI to augment your expertise, not mask it. Human-led, AI-enabled is the way forward.

2. Reliability in a world of automation: Consistency builds trust. But automation can misfire. When your chatbots go rogue or your recommendations miss the mark, reliability suffers.

RGC advice: Don’t just automate - audit. Ensure AI systems reflect the standards and safeguards from your business’s perspective and those you’d expect from a human counterpart.

3. Intimacy without the human touch: AI can mimic personalization, but not human empathy. True intimacy comes from emotional intelligence, not predictive engines.

Consumers often reject algorithmic decisions, even when they outperform humans. This is due to a phenomenon called “algorithm aversion.”
Source

RGC challenge: Use AI to create space for more meaningful human connection, not less. Elevate emotional resonance, don’t outsource it.

4. Self-Orientation and ethical use: This is the most critical factor and where trust is most easily lost. If buyers sense AI is being used to manipulate rather than serve, the relationship breaks.

RGC principle: Be radically transparent. Make it clear how AI is being used and who benefits. Trust flows from alignment.

Practical guidance for GTM leaders

To earn and keep trust in a fast-moving, AI-enhanced marketplace, GTM leaders must be proactive stewards of ethical, human-first growth.

Here’s how to apply the Trust Equation in practice:

1. Lead with Credibility

• Ground claims in real data and lived experience.
• Credit human expertise, even when AI is involved.

2. Deliver with Reliability

• Align marketing, sales, and product narratives.
• Monitor automation tools rigorously.
• Consistently deliver on promises - even the small ones.

3. Foster Intimacy

• Personalize with empathy, not just logic.
• Use storytelling to build emotional connection.
• Be responsive - especially when things go wrong.

4. Lower Self-Orientation

• Design journeys around customer goals.
• Be honest about limitations - yours and the tech's.
• Measure success in shared outcomes, not vanity metrics.

Building trust is the growth strategy.

At Real Growth Collective, we see trust not as a soft skill, but as a growth engine.

Trust builds ecosystems. Trust accelerates deals. Trust sustains momentum.

AI may transform how we go to market, but it doesn’t change what matters most. In a world of synthetic speed and digital noise, the businesses that thrive will be the ones who remain human, humble, and anchored in trust.

Because growth without trust is just transaction. And real growth is always personal.

Let’s talk.If you're a GTM leader seeking to earn deeper trust, navigate AI responsibly, and grow with confidence, RGC is your partner.

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