Be Honest

How important is honesty to you?  I hope that you are not a person who would get involved with shady business dealings.  If honesty is not very important to you, then be sure to make it important to your business.  You want to have a great deal of integrity when dealing with clients, colleagues, vendors, strategic partners and everyone else with whom you come into contact.

An elementary topic?  Indeed.  Vital for long-term success?  Oh yeah!

Have you ever seen a dishonest person get away untarnished from underhanded activity?  At the very least, his conscience will be damaged.  How can you be honest in your business dealings?  The key is to avoid lying in any way.  If you have an interview with a prospective client who needs a skill that you do not have, would you say that you can accomplish that requested task in order to obtain the contract?  Maybe a person in that situation could reason, “I will simply learn the skill and then get the work done.”  This is dangerous for her reputation and business.

How much better would it be to tell the prospect, “Well, I don’t have any experience in that, but I am willing to learn it on my own time.”  Your prospect will have a great deal of respect for you because of your honesty and straightforwardness.

Thinking long-term about your business has to include a mindfulness towards integrity in all of your work.  This is a sure way to build a lasting business.  One lie could lead to the downfall of a business!