The cover story in this month’s Perishables Buyer details the importance for retailers to establish and maintain shopper trust if they are to generate strong—or at least consistent—business while forging a credible reputation.

Stephen M.R. Covey, an advisor on trust, leadership, ethics and high performance, elaborates on the vital importance of trust in his best-selling book, The Speed of Trust.

He notes that trust undergirds and affects the quality of every relationship, every communication, every work project and every business venture, and alters the trajectory and outcome of every future moment.

Simply put, Covey states, trust means confidence, while the opposite—distrust—means suspicion.

According to the experts quoted in our trust cover story which begins on page 28, establishing trust in the perishables departments involves such elements as being transparent in letting shoppers know the origin of seafood or meat, or the ingredients in bakery products.

Operators also can take steps to regain trust after a product recall or other negative occurrence by keeping shoppers up-to-date on the steps that are being taken to alleviate the situation.

Indeed, Covey says it is crucial to “confront reality” by taking tough issues head-on.

“It’s about sharing the bad news as well as the good, naming the ‘elephant in the room,’ addressing the ‘sacred cows,’ and discussing the ‘undiscussables,”’ he states. “As you do these things appropriately, you build trust—fast. People know you’re being genuine and authentic. You’re not shying away from the tough stuff. You’re directly addressing the difficult issues that are on people’s minds and hearts and affect their lives.”

The opposite of “confront reality” is to ignore it and act as though it doesn’t exist, or to act as though you are confronting reality when you’re actually evading it, Covey states.

The problem with those approaches is that failing to deal with the real issues for any reason can create negative perceptions and cause people to see you in one of two ways, Covey notes.

“They see you as lacking in character (you’re not being open or honest, not being transparent, not talking straight), or lacking in competence (you’re clueless, naïve, incompetent; you don’t know what the real issues are),” he says. “Either way it doesn’t inspire trust.”

The bottom line, he adds, is to not be afraid to deliver bad news.

“Don’t feel like you have to try to spin everything in a positive light,” he says.