Have you ever hired someone for something and felt like you got cheated? Whether they charged more than expected, didn’t deliver what they promised or simply had no idea what they were doing? It is not a good feeling to say the least.
A few years back I was in a local networking group. One of the members claimed to be an SEO specialist. I was a little hesitant to work with him (mainly because of his personality) but he promised my phone would be “ringing off the hook” once he got us ranked on google. Long story short, they didn’t do anything they said they were going to and ended up charging us a crazy fee at the end to gain access back to OUR website. I realized later after talking to some of the other members that he was just selling, getting his money and moving on.
Why am I telling you this story? There are a lot of things in life that we can’t control. We are going to be in situations in our business or professional lives where something is outside of our skillset. We are going to have opportunities to do something that may not be in the best interest of our client or company that could benefit us financially.
Regardless of any situation, the one thing that we will carry with us our entire lives is our reputation. Can you deceive someone and get some extra cash in your pocket in the short term? Most likely. I truly believe in the long term that will catch up with you.
The bottom line is that you need to guard your reputation with every part of your being. You can offer the best service in the world at the best price but if you have a bad reputation, you will not succeed.
Do what is right. Be honest with everyone. Put others needs before yours. Your business or your career is a long term game. If you guard your reputation, in the end it is a game that you will ultimately win.
