how do you build trust with a customer over time

Trust is built by RELIABILITY, not by being charming. Your method: 1) DO WHAT YOU SAY — every time. A promise kept is the single biggest trust-builder. 2) Be honest, even when it's bad news — customers trust the person who tells them the truth early, not the one who papers over it. 3) Give clear, realistic timelines and then hit them. 4) Show you remember their context (their tools, their priorities) — it proves you listen. 5) Be consistent across visits. The one-line frame: 'Trust is built by keeping small promises until they add up to a big one.' Give an example of a customer/relationship you earned trust with over time by being reliable. That's the field-support foundation the panel is screening for.