Whether we want to accept it or not all relationships, both business and personal are all based off trust. Would you share the most intimate details of your life with someone you couldn’t trust? I sure hope not. Just as you wouldn’t tell everything to someone you couldn’t trust, you also wouldn’t do business with a company you couldn’t trust.
When I decided to start my own business there were many things I had to take into consideration and many business principles that I put in place. Probably one of the most important one of those was having great customer service. Both sides of my family are entrepreneurs and own successful businesses, so it’s probably no surprise that I followed in their footsteps. If it’s one thing my parents always taught me it was that your name is the most important thing you have. From then on I’ve always made it top priority to keep a good name. When it comes to business I’ve learned that sometimes it’s important to take a small hit and go above and beyond to keep clients satisfied and stick to my word. Countless times this has kept clients coming back and also referring me for other work. I found that it’s cheaper and easier to keep clients than to go find new ones. For the most part all my clients are great.
So what am I trying to say? I’m glad you asked. One of your top priorities in life should be to be a trustworthy person. It will do more for your business and personal relationships than anything else. With most people you get one shot, it’s rare that life gives you second chances. If a friend shares something in confidence with me and I go tell everyone I know chances are that person will not tell me anything else of importance. Same thing with business; if I do a client wrong one time there’s a good chance they will find someone else and not think twice about it. Be sure to guard your name like you would your fortune!
jamesonharding
