Title: Your IR is ... to Your Market Position Author: Kathleen Gage Email: ... Word Count: ... © 2004 by Kathleen GageWeb Address: ... Pu
Title: Your IR is Essential to Your Market Position
Author: Kathleen Gage
Email: kathleen@turningpointpresents.com
Word Count: 508
Copyright: © 2004 by Kathleen Gage
Web Address: www.kathleengage.com
Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter,
on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include
the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is
not required.
Your IR is Essential to Your Market Position
by Kathleen Gage
Often people look for the latest and greatest bells and whistles to market their company. Fact is, one of the most powerful marketing strategies is one that many folks overlook. Something that can make or break a person’s reputation and their ability to gain and maintain strong position is their IR or the Integrity Reading. The IR determines their level of integrity. My definition of integrity is simple.
“Integrity is the ability to know we are doing the right thing in all situations. It is about accountability and responsibility. Accountability is when others can count on what we agree to and responsibility is the ability to respond. It has to do with following through on the agreements we make with others, even if following through is not the most convenient or comfortable thing to do. And if we can’t follow through, having the willingness to be honest enough to let the other person know the reason why.”
A quick read through in the newspaper will make one believe that for many people integrity, accountability and responsibility are viewed as foreign concepts. How many people make purchases on credit with no intention of paying the lender back in the agreed upon timeframe, or worse yet, having no intention whatsoever of paying any of the debt back?
This doesn’t just apply to individuals, it also applies to companies who use the services of vendors and, through bad planning, overextend the company resources and write off the vendor’s bill to bad debt.
What about the individual who agrees to be at a meeting place at a specific time and due to bad planning shows up late? Have you ever wondered how much money this can cost in lost production time? Figure a staff meeting where there are going to be 10 people in attendance and the meeting is 15 minutes late getting started -- that could literally cost the company thousands of dollars in lost productivity over the period of a year.
Or how often are people trying to get something for nothing? Interestingly, these very people want to get paid for their services and yet, they are constantly looking for ways to get free services from others.
On the other hand, there are so many people who live with the utmost integrity and their life seems to work pretty well. They are people who can honestly look in the mirror and say, “I feel good about the decisions I have made and the actions I have taken.”
What is your IR? Take this simple test. Do you follow through on agreements? Do you deliver more than expected in your transactions? Do you honor your creditors need to get paid on time? Does your reputation help you or hinder your position in the market?
Your integrity reading can be one of the most powerful marketing tools you can have. After all, word of mouth marketing is the greatest marketing strategy of all. What is the word around town about you?
Are You Ready To Own And Operate A Business?
How often has someone thought of starting a business based solely on the fact they think it will be easier than working for someone else. Fact is, owning and ... a business can be one of the mosA Simple Strategy to Increase Profits
In today’s competitive business environment it is essential to find ways to reduce costs and increase revenues while keeping productivity and quality high. One of the best ways to achieve this is through hiring and retention of outstanding employees.Are You a Trendsetter or Someone Who Will be Left Behind?
Recently, I had a conversation with a friend in the San Francisco Bay Area who has owned her business for nearly 30 years. After catching up on the family and all our pets, we ended up talking about business. Makes sense since years ago we collaborated on many successful major entertainment events in the Bay Area.