When I was first starting out in this business Randy Kunkel and Davis Whitworth both had a big impact on me as they trained me on how to be successful in the mattress industry. They both said a few things that have stayed with me all of these years and they are simple but incredibly important.

1. Be the man. Do what you say you are going to do and never falter from that. If you say you are going to send your customer an e-mail then do it. If you tell an rsa that you will be there on Saturday then you better get there.
2. Outwork everyone.

It’s that first one that I want to touch on today. If you give someone your word, or tell them that you’re going to do something, how do you value that? If you Commit to the terms of a deal but later learn that it might require more to fulfill than you originally thought, do you stick with it or back out to serve your own interest? Even something like telling your kids that you will take them to the amusement park but you cancel later because something else came along that makes that decision inconvenient. What about the simple things like promising to give someone a call, or blowing off a date with your wife?

I  believe that if you tell somebody something of substance and you don’t follow through it does a lot to hurt how people perceive you and does something to Damage you whether you realize it or not. We all know people that we love and trust that we would be totally good doing a handshake deal with because their word is their bond. Are you one of them? Can people really count on what you say even if it ends up being tough on you in the long run or do react to that with selfish behavior? Does character really matter? When we break our word don’t we feel a little less good?

When I was in college I bounced a few checks and my dad was furious with me. He said, “Your grandfather spent his whole life on that farm living up to his word with everyone in his town so that the Quinn name meant something. You are NOT going to damage that, are we clear?” Yes we are. If you can’t live up to it then DON’T commit to it because nobody wins in that.