Be Attitude #7 – Be Honest: Always tell the truth

Abraham Lincoln or Mark Twain said “If you always tell the truth, you will never have to remember what you said.”

Don’t be so brutally honest that you hurt people; just make sure you never tell a lie.

If someone catches you telling a lie they will never believe anything else you tell them.

Question: How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Answer: Four; calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.

In business and life in general there are many temptations to misrepresent something to someone else; often this is done to close the sale. This only ends in disaster, as sooner or later the person discovers that what you represented to be true is simply not so. Now you have an upset customer who will want their money back and never buy from you again. So the old adage “honesty is the best policy” prevails, not only in business but in your personal life as well. Sometimes we are tempted to exaggerate or brag that we have done more or earned more than we actually did. Once again, if and when (and almost always “when”) it is discovered that what you said happened actually was not quite on such a grand scale, you lose credibility with all who became aware of your trumped up story.

It is far better to underplay your achievements and have people discover that you had actually done a lot more than you told them.

Now they think you are modest and hold you in high esteem for not bragging.

Be like Sergeant Joe Friday from the TV series Dragnet, who was always saying, “just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.” Get in the habit of always giving the facts and it will become and remain a habit. Not telling the truth is a bottomless pit. The first lie places one on a slippery slope that will only slide a person into a situation that will be very embarrassing and difficult to remedy. When someone lies they begin to expend a lot of energy just trying to remember what they told each person.

Implying something that allows a person to think that something is what it is really not is simply another form of telling a lie. Saying, “I joined this Network Marketing Company and within two months I bought a Brand New Cadillac” implies that you earned enough money from that company to buy the new car when in truth your check may have been only $150.00.

So always take the high road and tell the truth. You will gain respect and admiration from your friends and everyone will trust that what you say can be taken to the bank.

Tip: Never say; “well to be honest with you”… It implies that up until then you were not being honest.

Paul Morris is a very successful Network Marketer who has built some of the largest and fastest growing downline organizations in the Network marketing Industry. He lives in Sunny South Florida, and is happily married to his wife and business partner Sandy. Paul and Sandy have three children and three grandchildren. Much of their life has been involved with Scouting and Outreach Ministry. Paul does consulting and is available for Public Speaking and Training Seminars. Whether it is a group of 14 in a living room or a crowd of 14,000 in an auditorium, Paul is sure to have them laughing, crying, and ultimately motivated and inspired to become all that they are capable of becoming. Paul can be reached at 954 785-9303 or via e-mail paulmorrisFL@yahoo.com