That’s the Golden Rule. Always treat people the way you want to be treated. In my article, It’s So Simple I spoke about my 3 unbreakable rules when running a business. Well, these are my 3 unbreakable rules when running my life. I refuse to be put in a position that makes me lie, cheat, or steal. Why would I want to do that? I’ve been lied to, cheated, and stolen from so many times I lost count back when I still had a full head of hair. And to be clear, I am just as guilty of doing it to others. That does not mean that I had to keep doing it. I refused to keep acting like the people who have lied, cheated, and stolen from me. And you don’t have to act like them either.
So why is it so important to me that I follow those 3 rules? Karma for one thing. Self-respect would be another. And yet the most important thing to me is integrity. It’s unfortunate that I know so many people that don’t have any, but that’s life. Are you guilty of lying, cheating, or stealing in your life? If your name isn’t Jesus, then you better have answered yes.
So why do I believe it’s so important that people don’t lie, cheat, or steal? Because I don’t want to be lied to, cheated, or stolen from. And I bet you don’t either. Remember, treat people the way YOU want to be treated. I remember when I first got into sales, I was told that when a customer calls and asks if you have something, you tell them yes. Regardless if you have it or not, just tell them yes and get them through the door. Seriously? Yep, that’s how we do it. Do you want to know the worst part? A lot of businesses are still doing it. So, knowing that we keep talking about adapting to customer’s needs, and knowing that technology has made it to where the customer has narrowed it down to pretty much exactly what they want, why in the hell are we still acting like this? Every person that is reading this blog knows that they don’t like being lied to. In fact, I have yet to meet somebody who does. So why would you lie to a customer to bring them all the way in and then hope that you can switch them to a different product than they want? It does work sometimes, but in today’s climate it’s a pretty big gamble.
I have a good friend that I have worked with most of my life. He is quite brilliant and actually very humble. He is possibly the best sales person I’ve ever met. That being said, he’d never even tell you he’s that good. He always asks General Managers and Dealer Principals of auto dealerships, if they would agree that the way consumers purchase vehicles have changed in the last two years? Once the GM or DP responds with yes, he then asks them, “then why are you still trying to sell vehicles the same way you did 10 years ago?” Most of them get it. Some of them say, “because that’s they way I’ve always done it and it’s always worked.” Great answer. And that is why the huge dealer groups are buying those kind of dealers out left and right.
So to those who don’t believe it’s a big deal to treat others in a manner that is anything less than honest, you will never understand what it is like to be a real winner. You will never understand what it is like to be able to look somebody in the eye and know that you have been completely upfront and given the person everything you can. And the fact is, you probably lie to yourself about why you do it.
Next time you are put in a position to lie, cheat, or steal ask yourself, how would you like it if you were on the receiving end? Would you like somebody to tell you something that was completely untrue? Would you be alright with the fact that you were charged a higher rate or price for something, because you actually decided to trust the person charging you? Or would be it be okay with you if somebody made a promise to you and said you could count on them to deliver and then they didn’t?
I will never understand why we, as human beings are so deceitful. Yet, we all witness it every day. I am no angel, that’s for sure. However, I do make it a habit to try my best to treat people the way I want to be treated. Since I believe that people buy people, I want the person who buys into me to always know I am being above board with them. I have to admit, I believe in karma. I believe that what comes around goes around. I know it sounds cliche, but if we all took just a little bit more time treating others better, we would all be in a better place.
What do you think? Am I completely off base? Do you think it’s okay to be less than honest in certain situations or that the end justifies the means? As always, thank you for taking the time to read and please feel free to comment.
The Other Side of Sales 