No business for the adulterer!
Over a 45-year career, I’ve been involved with virtually every kind of marketing tool extant. The best kind I’ve found remains word of mouth, since it provides instant credibility and costs you nothing.
Word-of-mouth marketing relies on you having a good reputation. After all, the recommendation reflects on the person making the referral, and they’re only going to refer someone they think of positively.
To nobody’s surprise, this works in reverse when you’ve left a poor impression on someone.
Consider a recent conversation with my college friend Mike. I was exploring ways to find illustrators for a graphic novel, and he guided me to Robert, a mutual acquaintance in NYC, as an excellent resource.
I hadn’t spoken with Robert in decades, but remembered the time he’d made moves on my (first) wife while I was talking with his wife in the other room. Regardless of his talent or his connections, this was a man I could never do business with.
THIS BELONGS IN EVERY BUSINESS LIBRARY!
Because while I’m admittedly a character, I’ll only do business with people who HAVE character. In my book, he’d failed the test.
I know…I’m being judgmental. However, my father taught me that people don’t change — they just do things differently. I concluded that Robert — a stinker in 1982 — was probably still a stinker.
In my experience, someone who brazenly ignores their marriage vows lacks principles, honor, and commitment. If he were willing to cut corners on his marriage, he’d also readily cut corners on any business dealings.
In short, I could never trust him, fearing he’d ditch me in search of a better opportunity.
So I passed on Robert and made alternate arrangements to satisfy my prospective client’s needs.
I share this story as a warning for younger readers who are early in their careers. Your reputation is your most valuable asset, and you should guard it carefully.
Remember that people can have long memories. Stepping on people or leaving a bad taste in someone’s mouth about you can easily come back to haunt you many years down the road.
I explained to Mike why I refused his advice, which probably eroded Robert’s reputation in his eyes. The culprit had also ruined a friendship, jeopardized his young marriage and lost out on long-term opportunities.
Hardly seems worth it, does it?
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
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Tell your story at www.writeawaybooks.com.