INTEGRITY. HONESTY. MORALS. ETHICS. CHARACTER
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The type of success you will obtain.
Now THAT’S an honest car repair shop!!! I’d take my car there for service and be their loyal, life-long customer!!
We have all heard the stories of someone being dishonest in their business practice or in how they dealt with the customer. Maybe you were treated unfairly or may have been over-charged for something. How did you feel? I believe we all have stories that could be told of being taken advantage of or only being told part of the story.
Have you ever felt someone pulled a ‘bait and switch’ scenario on you? A friend of mine tells the story of receiving a card in the mail for a FREE 7 day cruise – all she had to do was call a number to confirm her reservation. I bet you have received those offers, too, right? When she called the number, she found out she would have to purchase 5 magazine subscriptions AND pay a ‘small amount’ for scheduling, handling, etc., etc., etc. Of course the ‘small amount’ paid for the cruise itself. Needless to say, my friend hung up on the promoter. She felt she had been deceived and had not been told the whole truth.
One of our business mantras is “disclose, disclose, disclose”. When we talk to a Seller or Buyer, we disclose EVERYTHING – even if it means we might not get the deal. Why? Because we want to be known for our HONESTY and INTEGRITY. In 99.9% of the cases, we get the deal anyway because the person we were talking to, figured that if we were willing to tell them the down side of a deal, then we were being honest with them about everything else. We allowed THEM to weigh the pros and cons to come to a decision that was best for them. By doing so, we won them over AND there were times we received referrals from them because of our honesty.
I like what Victor Kiam said – “Though negotiations are a rough game, you should never allow them to become a dirty game. Once you’ve agreed to a deal, don’t back
out of it unless the other party fails to deliver as promised. Your handshake is your bond. As far as I’m concerned, a handshake is worth more than a signed contract. As an entrepreneur, a reputation for integrity is your most valuable commodity. If you try to put something over on someone, it will come back to haunt you.”
I couldn’t have said that better!! As you build your business – whatever type of business that is – in the beginning, people invest in YOU. Your honesty, your integrity, your morals, your ethics, is what people will invest in first. After they invest in you, the money will follow.
One of our great President’s, Harry S. Truman said “A person who is fundamentally honest doesn’t need a code of ethics. The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount are all the ethical code anybody needs.”
I also like what Maria Razumich-Zec said: “Your reputation and integrity are everything. Follow through on what you say you’re going to do. Your credibility can only be built over time, and it is built from the history of your words and actions.”
I’d like you to study this Character Wheel and as you do, think about what the hub of the wheel says “Character Determines Success”.
Where are you on the scale of having all of these Character Traits?
Character (Definition)
1. The sum of qualities by which a person is distinguished from others; education,
or habit; that which a person really is.
2. Strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality.
3. Moral quality; the principles and motives that control the life.
Ask yourself how these character traits apply to you then make a conscious effort to improve in areas you are lacking in. If you want a good, sustainable business with a strong foundation that could leave a legacy for you and your family for generations to come, build on the characteristics I’ve described above. Don’t cut back on those!!
Quote for the week:
Honesty and integrity are absolutely essential for success in life – all areas of life. The really good news is that anyone can develop both honesty and integrity.
~~ Zig Ziglar
JOINING YOU IN YOUR ADVENTURE TO SUCCESS!!
The entire team at the REI Rockstars & Toroklaw Acquisitions
