Are YOU on my desk?

     As I look around me,  I see notes and slips of paper with phone numbers and phone messages and email addresses and reminders… all people who have said they are definitely interested in moving forward with business consulting and/or writing services… all people who have not followed through even though I have offered gentle reminders.

     If you commit to someone  that you intend to do business with at some level, and especially when you set a target date, either do it… or call that person immediately to let him or her know that you have second thoughts, other thoughts, no thoughts… whatever! But communicate!

     In street lingo,  it’s referred to as “S*@& or get off the pot!” and it means exactly that!

     How can you expect  to build or maintain any kind of reputation for integrity when you tell people one thing, and do another?

     How can you expect  people to think respectfully of you and your business when you don’t treat them respectfully?

     Does this mean  sending out an RFP to “outside” services and then not communicating about it once the proposal is submitted? Of course! Doesn’t every proposal require some explanation? 

     Does this mean  agreeing to have the information a product or service provider needs in order to complete an order into her or his hands by a certain date, and then honoring that agreement (or immediately notifying the other party of the need for a delay)? Of course!

     Does this mean  honoring a customer discount offer that’s presented 24 hours after the expiration date (regardless of reason offered)? Of course! 

     If you are on the receiving end  (or actually, non-receiving end might be more appropriate) of any of these kinds of situations, you may need to re-negotiate your relationship to the point of having to ask point blank:

“Are you interested in moving forward with this as we’ve agreed, or not?”

(If YES,  “Let’s set a deadline of _____ for getting _____ done. Okay with you?”)

(If NO,  “What specific things can I do right now to get us back on track?”) 

Putting things off , like services you contract for, or not providing essential input for those services to do what you’re paying them to do, is a losing proposition for all involved. And the cost of not communicating is lost integrity. Neither is a healthy business practice!

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