 President's
Corner
I hope you had a wonderful
Thanksgiving holiday weekend and
are now back to business for a
few weeks gearing up for those
end of the year profits! :)
As I was sitting at the Thanksgiving table I was listening to my mother talking
to my brother and I overheard her say to him, "You'll catch more flies with
honey than you will with vinegar." It's quaint, but even in today's high
tech world, it still holds true today. With toxic bosses in vogue and
self-absorption at a new high, common courtesy is anything but common.
I have encountered numerous business people who believe that success is their
ticket to bad manners. Being successful doesn't mean you have to lose your
etiquette. The valet parking attendant should be given the same respect as
the chairman of the board.
I believe we subliminally associate good manners with other old-fashioned traits
like honesty and integrity. So someone exhibiting good manners would be send,
all other things being equal, as being more honest and having greater personal
integrity.
Good manners convey other positive traits, such as respect, altruism and
discipline. A display of manners is a sacrifice of what one might prefer
to do in certain situations in order to follow prescriptions of behavior. It is
easier to trust people with good manners. People judge us by actions and
appearance and words, so how you look, speak and act really translates into how
you're viewed in business.
Several years ago Mr. Anderson called and wanted to sell his note. His note was
not very desirable and I told him right up front that we could buy it but the
discount would be extreme large due to the poor terms he had on the sale and
note. I spent 5-10 minutes talking with him and he appreciated my honesty and
said he would look elsewhere. I wished him the best. Almost two years
later I got a call from Mr. Anderson again and he reminded me of our initial
conversation and said that he had a vivid memory of that call. He was
impressed that I would be so polite and courteous to a complete stranger.
That was his main reason for contacting me again. This time he had an
exceptional note that we went on to purchase because he knew I would be honest and
straightforward with him and a trustworthy steward of his money.
According to a survey by Columbia, SC based Eticon (an etiquette consulting
firm), almost 60 percent of customers say they would shop elsewhere and pay more
to avoid rude sales and service people. For the note business you might read
that as 60 percent of note holders would move on and choose to sell their note
to someone else, even at a bigger discount, to avoid a rude note broker/buyer.
Even more interesting, the survey goes on to say that individual customers no
longer have a problem exiting a relationship with a business when they are
treated with disrespect.
As your mother would tell you, manners matter most because you reap what you
sow. No one I know has ever passed along business to someone who is
lacking in the manners area. Don't just brush etiquette off as a sissy
topic. Manners bring positives that help you get ahead.
Don't underestimate the value of courtesy in the note business. Have a wonderful
holiday season!
Remember, Success Demands
Action! Keep on marketing, it’s
going to work! TWITA!
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