Ah, respect…one of those things we all seem to crave, but it can be hard to tell if we’re actually getting the respect we think we deserve (or that we’ve earned). When it comes to our home businesses, we may feel so self-conscious or be so removed from our customers and clients that we don’t know if we’re respected or not.
So, how can you know if your customers, clients and prospects respect you? Well, first it takes some self awareness about whether you are behaving in a respectful manner. Are you honest? Do you follow through on things you promise? Are you dealing with people with integrity as your guide? Even if you think you might be making some beginner’s mistakes, if you are treating people with respect, they will likely see you as a respectful person.
Things to watch out for that could erode your reputation: bad mouthing competitors or customers in front of others; late payments, invoices or deliveries; not returning phone calls or e-mails; and not dealing honestly and directly with people. All of these are ways that your behavior could have a negative impact on your ability to garner respect.
It might to help to look at others for whom you hold respect–maybe a former boss or a mentor or someone you know from one of your networking groups. Do people look to you and treat you in a similar manner? Are there things that your mentor does that you could emulate to make you a more respect-worthy business person?
Reputation is important in business–even a small home-based business which seems to go unnoticed. And, we have more control over our reputation than we think we do–attracting people’s respect means earning it through honesty and “straight-shooting.” If we want people’s respect for us as business people, we do have to earn it!
See Also: Cultivating a Reputation for Honesty and Integrity
Teaching Your Kids How to Show Respect