To be a straight shooter, you have to do what you say you’re going to do. You can’t say one thing and then do another.
There’s a big difference between those who are committed and all the rest. People who are committed will do whatever it takes to follow through.
It’s been said that you are only as good as your word. Actually, I think this is only half right. I think it should be, “You are only as good as your word — if you do what you say you will do.” Your word must be your bond. If you commit to something, follow through. A person who keeps his or her word every time will gain respect from others. But a person who doesn’t keep his or her word, even in little things, will earn a negative reputation.
People often think that if they have good intentions they are straight shooters. That’s simply not true. You can have all the good intentions in the world, but if you don’t act in a way that’s consistent with those intentions, your goodwill is meaningless.
Our actions are more meaningful than our intentions, as reflected in this quote from the book Walk the Talk: “We judge ourselves mostly by our intentions, but others judge us mostly by our actions. People hear what we say, but they see what we do. And seeing is believing.”
To stay in the game, you gotta deliver what you promise. And walking the talk is absolutely critical in sales. I’ve seen a lot of companies with good products that are no longer in business because they didn’t follow through on their commitments.
In sports, if you don’t deliver, you’ll get cut from the team. In business, you must absolutely deliver on the commitments and obligations you make to customers, even if it means working overtime or losing money. Your ability and willingness to follow through and walk your talk are key indicators of your success.
Some people have a hard time honoring their commitments simply because they haven’t learned when and how to say no. They make too many promises without thinking about how they’re going to fulfill those commitments. This is the type of short-term thinking that gets people in trouble. It is far better to make fewer commitments and keep the ones you do make than to agree to everything and only partially deliver on the promise.
Following through is simply the right thing to do, but it also has an unexpected benefit. When you follow through on your commitments (including the commitments you make to yourself), you gain confidence, belief, and momentum.