Punctuality in Business: What it Says About You

"Nothing inspires confidence in a business man sooner than punctuality, nor is there any habit which sooner saps his reputation than that of being always behind time." (W. Mathews)

Being tardy can be a serious marketing blunder for today's business owner. From being late to meetings with a colleague or client, to not delivering your product or service on time, tardiness speaks volumes about who you are and how you do business. If you want customers to choose to do business with you, you must meet their expectations for performance. If you can't meet deadlines for delivering products and services, customers will quickly find their way to your competitors.

What does being punctual say about you?

1. You care. Showing up and on time is one of the best ways to show someone that you care about them. By keeping our commitments to others, we are acknowledging them and their needs. Caring about our customers must be our number one priority since it is through our relationships that we build our business. No one knows how much you care until you show them ? by showing up.

2. You respect others. Horace Mann said, "Unfaithfulness in the keeping of an appointment is an act of clear dishonesty. You may as well borrow a person's money as his time." Arriving on time for customer meetings, speaking engagements, meetings with vendors, or anything else you do in your business, shows that you respect others. Respect is the foundation for creating great long-term relationships with your clients.

3. You are professional. Thomas C. Haliburton said, "Punctuality is the soul of business." As a business professional, you have a toolkit of knowledge and behaviors that serve to create an aura of professionalism. Being on time is a fundamental tool for anyone who wants to be perceived as being the very best.

4. You are confident. When you show up on time, it's a sign that you are confident to take on whatever might lay before you. Tardiness can imply that you aren't confident, that you are hesitating to deal with a person or situation, possibly because you don't have the skills, knowledge or tools to create a successful outcome. Confidence is the companion of success, and by showing up on time, you're putting yourself one step closer to achieving it.

5. You are ready to receive others. Punctuality says to others, "I'm ready". It implies that you are open to allowing more into your life. You're ready to meet with a client to discuss business. You're ready to deliver a presentation. You're ready to be involved with whatever is set before you. People who "aren't ready" tend to show up late or not at all.

6. You have an edge. Being punctual gives you an edge in business. Undoubtedly you've heard the proverb, "The early bird gets the worm", or in our case, the work. In today's competitive business climate, timing is everything. With businesses moving at the speed of light thanks to the latest technologies, delay of any sort can cost you clients. Being punctual is great; being early is even better!

7. You're in control. Not only do people choose to do business with those who they like, know, and trust, they also like doing business with people who are in control. Business owners who always arrive early or on time to appointments give the impression that they manage things well. It gives customers the impression that you are reliable in everything that you do. People want to do business with people who are in control.

8. You have a standard for excellence. Punctuality is a standard for operating excellence. Not only does it imply that you are in control of your business, it shows that you respect yourself and others. Successful, well-liked business owners typically have punctuality as one of their highest values. In a business world where rules are constantly changing, showing up on time will always be at the top of the list when it comes to standards of excellence.

9. You keep things in flow. When you are on time or when you deliver your products and services on time, you keep things in flow. Other people and events are affected by what you do and don't do. If you don't show up or if you don't deliver as promised, you can adversely affect the plans of others. By showing up on time, you allow other people and things to show up on time as well. Everybody wins.

10. Your habit is your brand. Over time, if you deal with the same person or groups of people, you will become known as someone who is punctual. You will be perceived as a business professional who respects others and who is confident and in control. This natural way of being will take on a life of its own and become part of your business branding.

© Copyright 2004 Alicia Smith Consulting & Training. All Rights Reserved.

Alicia Smith, a Coach and Trainer whose specialty is helping coaches to Make Money Now wrote this article.

This article is derived from just one of the 26 lessons contained in her audio program, Marketing Marathon Blunders From A ? Z. To learn more about that course and her other products and services, please visit the following sites or email her at alicia@aliciasmith.com

---

Reducing the High Cost of Absenteeism

Employers pay a high price for absenteeism, often more than... Read More

Leadership in Troubled Times

Leadership in Troubled Times The... Read More

Its All In The Systems

Have you ever noticed french fries taste the same at... Read More

Stopping The Brain Drain: How To Capture Key Business Knowledge Before It Walks Out The Door

The verdict is in: More and more baby boomers will... Read More

Across The Interview Table!

Job interviews are easier for the interviewer or the interviewee... Read More

Improving Your Inter-Company Communications At No Cost

It's all very well having a flashy (and expensive) advertising... Read More

Employee Motivation: Make Everyone A Cheerleader For Your Company

Do you manage by walking around? What do you see?... Read More

Attract and Retain Positively Great Employees - An Action Plan for Employee Training

Everyday a business owner, CEO, or manager somewhere is complaining... Read More

Motivation - You Get What You Reward

There's a programme currently running on BBC Television in the... Read More

Five Problem-Solving Success Tips

The ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important... Read More

Project Management - I Want It ALL

The knee-jerk response to prioritizing requirements is to mark everything... Read More

Four Corners of a Triangle: Why Organizations Succeed or Fail

When we want to hire people for a corporation or... Read More

Jack Welch--Success Is Getting Back Up on the Horse

A few months ago I had the opportunity to spend... Read More

Seeking Help

Where does the time go? Billable time. As a consultant,... Read More

Indiscretion Can Kill Your Business

The quickest way to cancel out all the thought, work,... Read More

Where Else in Your Business Do You Accept a 60% Failure Rate?

I recently surveyed CEOs and Business Leaders of large companies... Read More

Travel the World - for Free!

I have been very fortunate to travel to several countries... Read More

Lets Make Training More Interesting!

Many HR managers believe that by sending their workers to... Read More

Workplace Violence - People are Dying Going to Work

Workplace violence has become a tragic reality today. From minor... Read More

Examining the Relationship Between Employee Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction

Researchers have undertaken numerous studies to look at the connection... Read More

What is Data Visualization?

Data Visualization is InteractiveHave you ever booked your flight plans... Read More

Just The Facts

Attitudes are more important than facts. Dr. Karl Menninger... Read More

Five Ways to Increase Profitability By Doing The Right Thing

1. Base your business in the Magic Triangle. Honesty, integrity,... Read More

Why Would Anyone Do That in My Meeting?

Imagine that you open a meeting by saying, "We need... Read More

Why Do Managers Create Low Morale? Or Does My Bum Look Big In This?

Why do managers create low morale as a product of... Read More

Spinning Gold from Straw: Low-Cost Employee Retention and Motivation Tools in a Changing Economy

New York, NY, February 25, 2005 ? Employee retention and... Read More

Business Innovation ? Status Games

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Can Your Business Run Without You?

If you are a business owner or a business owner... Read More

Can Your Corporate Policy Pass the Monkeys, Bananas, and Water-spray Experiment?

Five monkeys were placed in a cage. A banana was... Read More

Management Apathy

I recently received a most interesting phone call.When I answered... Read More

Selecting Top Talent: Improve Your Batting Average

I recently gave a presentation to a group of business... Read More

What Consultants Want You to Know (But You Never Ask)

I've been both a CEO and a consultant, so I've... Read More

Steps in Using the Critical Incident Technique

STEPS IN USING THE CRITICAL INCIDENT TECHNIQUE:1) The incident. Read,... Read More