Details In Business Blog

“An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises.” ~ Mae West

Coverups, scams, cons - the world is full of intentional lies and liars.  Always has been – always will be. 

But lately I’ve noticed a massive upswing in a more subtle form of lying – people who just don’t live up to their promises; the ones who don’t put any value on being true to their word.  I know they’ve always been around but there used to be a stigma attached to being one of them.  Now it’s passed off as just the way things are in our busy world.  We all do it.  We’re all guilty.  That’s particularly dangerous thinking for small business, because the backlash can be just as subtle and stealthy as the lie. 

It comes down to this.  We’re becoming confused about the difference between promises and lies.  People hate to be lied to, so it’s important to know the difference.  It’s really simple.  If you promise to do something and you don’t – that’s a lie. 

Let’s review:

When you promise your customer that you will call them and you don’t – that’s a lie.
When you promise you will do something today, and don’t – lie again. 
When you promise an employee a new office, raise or some other perk and don’t deliver – another lie.

Many of us will try to retrofit lies back into promises by means of the handy and versatile tool known as “excuses”.  Yes, there are times when excuses are valid.  Life happens – even in business – and excuses to buy time to correct oversights or explain errors are dandy, as long as there’s follow-through and completion afterward.  Otherwise, excuses are just icing on the “lie cake”.  Covering lies with sugar does not make the steaming pile more delicious.  Do not think for a minute that your customers, employees and co-workers are not aware of this. 

What’s the antidote for promises that are really “lies in disguise”?  Small business owners – you set the tone for the way your business runs.  Follow through. Be true to your word.  Be accountable.  All day, every day.  You’ll find it’s contagious.  Your efforts really will pay off.  If you don’t think so, you’re lying to yourself.

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