Trustworthiness by Jim Meisenheimer

Sometimes I just want to scream.

I go ballistic when somebody sets an appointment and
shows up late.

It happened again last week.

We hired a young man to do some painting for us.

It's not a big job, doesn't require a lot of talent,
and we thought of this person because he's currently
unemployed.

Everyday we asked him "What time will you be here
tomorrow?" The first three days he was late and I was
furious. He told Bernadette, my wife, he would show up
at 8:30 AM the next morning. In fact, he showed up
at 10:30 AM.

When he shows up, he gives me his "Alibi Ike" story -
all the reasons why he was late. How could he ever
be on time, when he's not even wearing a watch -
I wondered.

So without resorting to my in-your-face NYC style, I
pointed out to him I was disappointed in his inability
to show up on time.

I asked him "What time can you be here tomorrow?" He
said, "9:30 AM." Then I said - "Okay," and added, "If
you're one minute late you're fired."

The next morning 9:30 AM comes and goes. At 10:15 AM
he calls and tells Bernadette the reason he's late is
because he had to stop at Home Depot - to pick up
something.

Lucky for him, Bernadette answered the phone. So for
the next two days, Bernadette simply told him to show
up whenever he could.

I understand that not everybody is like me. I like to
be on time; in fact I like to be early to avoid being
late.

Here's a big sales tip for all entrepreneurs and
professional salespeople. You have to earn the
designation "trustworthiness" from your sales
prospects and customers.

The word "trustworthiness" means "worthy of trust." It
means "dependable." It means "reliable."

It means you "mean what you say" and "say what you mean."

It's not always possible to be on time - I realize that.

But I recommend, even if you're going to be only five
minutes late, call your sales prospect / customer and
tell him you're going to be five minutes late.

Cell phones make this a no-brainer for you.

It shows you respect their time.

It shows you care!

It shows you're dependable!

It shows you're reliable!

We are in a recession, and little things can make a big
difference when choosing a product and/or a supplier.

Always try to be early. If you can't be on time - always
call! Doing this will differentiate you from most of
your competitors.

Today is Monday and two pool technicians are late for
a 9:30 AM appointment they scheduled with us.

It makes me want to scream.

It pays to be on time, and it pays even more to be
perceived as trustworthy.

About
The Author:

Jim is a
Sales Strategist and is the creator of No-Brainer Selling Skills.
He shows salespeople and entrepreneurs how to increase sales,
earn more money, have more fun, and how to do it all in less
time. His focus is on practical ideas that get immediate results.
He offers Advanced Sales Management Workshops, Sales Coaching,
Consulting, In-house Sales Training Programs, and a wide variety
of Learning Tools i.e. books, special reports, sales manuals,
and CDs.Jim Meisenheimer
is a member of The National Speakers Association, where he earned
the C.S.P. designation, Certified Speaking Professional. He
has authored five books including, "The 12 Best Questions
To Ask Customers," and the recently published “57
Ways To Take Control Of Your Time And Your Life”.

Websites: http://www.startsellingmore.com/

http://www.meisenheimer.com/