"Want to Build Instant Trust? Make This Counterintuitive Move"

"The Deliberate Mistake: A Surprising Hack to Build Instant Trust"

February 17, 2025

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Here’s a quick hack to build trust. Make a small mistake early in a presentation or relationship. I know it seems silly and counterintuitive to making a great impression but it works.

What Is The Deliberate Mistake Technique?

Remember, our brains are pattern-seeking machines, and the pattern for trust is: trust = competency + transparency + benevolence (good intent).

Imagine you're giving a presentation about quarterly sales figures. You begin with a slide showing $1.2 million in revenue, then pause, check your notes, and say, "I apologize – that's $1.1 million. I'm not sure why the slide is slightly higher, but I want to make sure we're working with accurate numbers." In that moment, you are demonstrating that you value accuracy over your ego. You have also displayed the three key elements of trust:

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