Good morning!

Being from New England, I know the difference between real maple syrup and the liquid gunk most restaurants serve. As such, I always double-check before ordering:

“The menu says you’ve got real maple syrup. Is that correct? Because, if it isn’t, it’s going back to the kitchen.”

I had this conversation most recently with a waiter at our hotel’s breakfast restaurant in St. Louis. He assured me it was the real deal.

It wasn’t.

Worse, after I sent it back, he came back over to share his conversation with the chef who, when told about my rejection, asked, “How did he know?”

For the next two mornings, we ate elsewhere.

This tip is about integrity. It’s about being impeccable with your word. That’s the first of Don Miguel Ruiz’ Four Agreements and it’s by far the most important.

It is said when you have a good buying experience you tell an average of one person but when it goes bad, you share it with ten. Think about that the next time you make a promise to a customer:

“Your job is shipping on Friday.”

“I’ll follow up after the job ships to make sure you were happy.”

And even when leaving a voicemail to a prospect: “I will try you again before the end of the week.”

It matters. It all matters. Every detail. Every promise. You need to be as good as your word.

The client knows their maple syrup and they want the good stuff (light amber, by the way). They will forgive a mistake, but not a broken promise. They will send the job back to the kitchen.

Then…

They will eat elsewhere. You will lose their future business. And they will tell ten people.

Or write a sales tip about it.

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