| Trustworthiness increases when we are big | | | | executives said that integrity was the quality |
| enough to own up to our mistakes and | | | | most needed to succeed in business. |
| weaknesses. People can forgive weakness, but | | | | It is wise to avoid even the appearance of |
| they won't be as quick to forgive cover-ups. | | | | anything one may consider as immoral or as a |
| Oftentimes, if a salesperson is open about a | | | | breach of integrity. It is human nature for people |
| weakness or drawback in a particular product, he | | | | to cast sweeping judgments and even spread |
| or she still closes the deal. If you can present | | | | their opinions when they don't have all the facts. |
| both sides of an issue, you will be considered | | | | If you never place yourself in a situation where |
| more fair and honest. Often your honesty will be | | | | one might be misled about you or your integrity, |
| the characteristic that wins people over. It is | | | | your good, hard-earned reputation will never be |
| better to risk rejection than to hide something | | | | compromised. Don't ever do the type of things |
| your prospect will find out later. | | | | that would make you or your family cringe to |
| Character is the combination of qualities that | | | | hear or read about. Striving to maintain integrity is |
| distinguish one person from another. Put another | | | | like having a Guardian Angel. If you pay attention, |
| way, your character is who you are on the inside. | | | | it will keep you on track. Remember the adage of |
| It's the things you do if you think no one's ever | | | | Phillips Brooks, a nineteenth century clergyman: |
| going to find out. Aristotle said, "Character may | | | | "Character is made in the small moments in our |
| almost be called the most effective means of | | | | lives." |
| persuasion." People of character have integrity, | | | | Having integrity is like having a rock solid dam. |
| honesty, sincerity, and maturity. | | | | People know a good, solid dam will hold and |
| I consider integrity to be the foundation of | | | | provide many benefits, such as electricity, water, |
| character. In the Bible, integrity refers to | | | | and recreation. If you are perceived as lacking in |
| individuals whose actions match the teachings and | | | | integrity, however, it's like having holes and leaks |
| word of God. In his best-selling book The Seven | | | | in your dam. When the leaks appear, everyone |
| Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey | | | | downstream abandons their trust in the old dam |
| talks about how integrity is crucial to one's | | | | and seeks higher ground. Respect is lost and they |
| ultimate success: | | | | place their trust in someone they believe has |
| If I try to use human influence strategies and | | | | greater integrity. We can all learn from the |
| tactics of how to get other people to do what I | | | | wisdom of the ancient Israelite, King Solomon. He |
| want, to work better, to be more motivated, to | | | | is recorded as saying, "A good name is more |
| like me and each other-while my character is | | | | desirable than great riches." If owning a good |
| fundamentally flawed, marked by duplicity or | | | | reputation is like owning gold, then owning integrity |
| insincerity- then, in the long run, I cannot be | | | | is like owning the mine. Abraham Lincoln gave |
| successful. My duplicity will breed distrust, and | | | | another good analogy: "Character is like a tree and |
| everything I do-even using so-called good human | | | | reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what |
| relations techniques-will be perceived as | | | | we think of it; the tree is the real thing." |
| manipulative. It simply makes no difference how | | | | Honesty in marketing sells. Companies that reveal |
| good the rhetoric is or even how good the | | | | a product's weaknesses are perceived as more |
| intentions are; if there is little or no trust, there is | | | | honest and trustworthy. Many master marketers |
| no foundation for permanent success. Only basic | | | | can turn that weakness into a positive selling point. |
| goodness gives life to technique. | | | | When we reveal the negatives, not only does it |
| Korn/Ferry and UCLA-conducted study, it was | | | | increase trust, but the prospect opens her mind |
| found that 71% of 1,300 surveyed senior | | | | and the negatives are always accepted as truth. |