My wife is brilliant:
“I think people like reading stories, as long as it doesn’t turn out to be a waste of time. You want to leave them happy and/or satisfied that they spent time reading your story (blog, status update, tweet, etc.). They are reading it trusting that you aren’t wasting their time. If you waste their time this round, they may never return. Just my two-cents.”
(Thanks Natalie!)
That’s how you get your customers to trust you. It’s what advertising can’t always get (buy) you, but a referral almost always can.
Work smart, work hard, work with integrity, serve those around you, and let the world tell that story for you. The referrals will be a byproduct.