The Trust Equation and the AAO Mindset™: Building Meaningful Connections

For anyone in a stakeholder-facing role—whether in sales, medical affairs, customer service, or key account management—success often hinges on one critical factor: trust. Establishing a trust-based relationship with your stakeholders is fundamental to becoming a valued partner. A powerful tool to help understand how trust is built and maintained is the Trust Equation, described in The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford.

What Is the Trust Equation?

The Trust Equation defines trustworthiness as the combination of Credibility, Reliability, and Intimacy, offset by Self-orientation:

T = (C + R + I) / S

• Credibility: Expertise, credentials, and honesty.

• Reliability: Dependability and predictability in actions.

• Intimacy: Empathy, discretion, and the ability to navigate sensitive topics.

• Self-orientation: The degree to which you focus on yourself versus your stakeholder’s needs.

High trustworthiness stems from strong credibility, reliability, and intimacy, combined with a low level of self-orientation. In simple terms, the more you focus on genuinely helping your stakeholders achieve their goals, the more trust you earn.

The Role of Mindset in Building Trust

Trust isn’t just about skills or behaviors—it’s also about mindset. A customer-focused mindset, as emphasized in The Trusted Advisor, is rooted in your ability to prioritize the other person’s needs. At iMD, we’ve taken this concept a step further by developing the AAO Mindset™. This mindset guides those in a stakeholder facing role to focus their curiosity and efforts on what matters most to their stakeholders, enabling meaningful engagement that drives results.

What Is the AAO Mindset™?

The AAO Mindset™ emphasizes aligning your approach with three stakeholder priorities:

1. Access: Ensuring patients can obtain necessary medications and services.

2. Advocacy: Supporting healthcare providers and advocating for patient needs.

3. Outcomes: Delivering better health results for patients and caregivers.

Establishing an AAO Mindset™ enables you to focus on how these elements relate to your stakeholders’ goals, you enhance your ability to engage meaningfully and provide value in every interaction.

Samira’s Story: The Power of the AAO Mindset™

Samira, a new medical science liaison, had spent her first 6 months struggling to truly engage with her stakeholders. Despite being diligent and hardworking, her efforts weren’t translating into success. Her approach centered on demonstrating that her molecule was shown to have a statistical advantage over other commonly used molecules.

Her manager, Jordyn, suggested a shift in perspective:“Instead of focusing on your molecule and the vast number of studies supporting it, focus on what your stakeholders are trying to achieve in terms of Access, Advocacy, and Outcomes, and provide them the specific information that might help them achieve their goals,” Jordyn advised.

Samira reflected and realized this could change how she engaged with stakeholders like pharmacists, specialists, and hospital administrators. With Jordyn’s guidance, she mapped out what Access, Advocacy, and Outcomes might mean for each stakeholder and planned how to tailor her approach accordingly.

A New Approach, A Renewed Purpose

Adopting the AAO Mindset™, Samira reoriented her conversations around stakeholder goals. She asked better questions, demonstrated genuine empathy, and was able to focus on specific data which helped her stakeholders see how her molecules could help achieve their objectives.

The results were immediate:

• Increased engagement: Stakeholders were more responsive and willing to meet.

• Stronger trust: Samira’s self-orientation decreased as she focused on delivering value.

• Improved outcomes: She successfully identified new KOL advocates and potential speakers for post launch efforts.

Samira’s story illustrates how a shift in mindset can enhance trustworthiness, increase meaningful engagement and drive success.

Unlock the Potential of Conversational Excellence

The AAO Mindset™ is a simple yet powerful framework to deepen trust, enhance engagement, and deliver measurable results. At iMD, we specialize in helping pharmaceutical companies empower their teams to master this mindset and achieve conversational excellence.

Are you ready to transform your customer interactions and build lasting trust? Contact us today to learn how the AAO Mindset™ can work for your organization.