22 Oct Oct 22, 2015: Gina Rivera
Following through on your words and promises is instrumental when growing your business. To a large degree clients and professional associates will only develop trust in you after witnessing you fulfilling promises and standing by your words.
Actions such as this send the message that you and your business are dependable and reputable.
For example when you promise something to a client and fail to follow through this can be interpreted as a direct reflection of your character as well as your professional abilities. This is why it is important to follow through on the promises that you make.
I am personally not a fan of making too many promises because in today’s world situations can change rapidly and circumstances may prevent you from fulfilling the promises you have made. While occasionally this may happen to all of us, we must remember that people can be somewhat non-forgiving when they have been disappointed by their expectations not being met.
Rather than making too many promises, I endorse establishing clear objectives and communicating your plans for achieving these objectives I believe this is a far better strategy for a few reasons. First, if you are having challenges achieving your objectives, you don’t have to do as much damage control if you fail to meet them. It’s easier to explain that you are developing a new strategy rather than failing to fulfill a promise.
Second, you can try various methods for reaching your objective without putting yourself under a rigid timeline. This allows for some trials and errors if at first you don’t succeed.
Someone once told me a very important piece of advice; “Say what you mean and mean what you say”. I try to live by this motto in my everyday life as a mother, an industry leader and a professional. But most importantly, I think carefully about my words before I say them. I recommend remaining true to the words you select. If you have to make a promise, make absolutely sure you can keep it. Not only will your clients and business associates feel better about you, you will feel better about yourself!