DON’T TRY TO PLEASE EVERYONE

Telling someone that you will do something because it appears the right thing to say and then not doing it, will, in the long term, only hurt your business.

Honesty is a value that every business owner must possess in order to not only grow a successful business but, to feel good about their businesses.

As a business owner you will be asked to do things that you either don’t want to do or can’t do, but instead of being truthful and saying, “I’m sorry but I will not be able to do that”, we try to make the person making the request happy by telling a “little white lie.”

We must always tell the truth and not what a client/customer wants to hear. That “little white lie” will not only hurt your relationship with a customer or a potential customer, but also your reputation.

The goal of every small business owner is to become a trusted provider of products or services. By having a trusted relationship you will reap the benefits of receiving more business from your current clients and also gaining a great source for referrals.

Being a trusted provider has many other benefits. One good example is an ability to retain a customer even when a competitor undercuts your price.

Credibility is another important aspect that comes as a result of being honest. For me, credibility is not just expertise in your product/service but also is a result of how you look, act , react and interact with your customers. It also means that you return phone calls, e-mails and keep appointments.      

Consumers want to believe in the people they do business with; they want to have faith and confidence  in them.

Credibility, like reputation, is something that is earned over time. People may have a tendency to assume initially that someone who owns a business has risen to a certain status in life and is deserving of their confidence. But complete trust is granted only after people have had the chance to get to know more about the business owner.  The credibility foundation is built brick by brick.

Remember, Credibility is mostly about consistency in words and deeds; it’s doing what you say you will do.