During my childhood I had the tendency to exaggerate or fib on little things for instance, how far I hit the baseball, how sick I was (to skip school) and of course when I broke something in the house. Now that I am older, wiser and have a better understanding of the value of truth, my actions have transformed tremendously. This behavior is understandable in naive children but I have noticed this same behavior in small businesses.
Small businesses have the tendency to imply “lie” that they are larger than they are. For instance some will claim they are a national business when in fact they only service locally but have sister companies in other states with different services. Another example is when a small business consisting of only one employee (owner) classifies their home office as their main headquarters, insinuating that they have multiple locations and are more grandiose than they are. My favorite “white lie” used frequently by small businesses is their broad description of their territory that they service. An example of this is when they say they service the west coast in reality they service one city that happens to be located on the west coast.
Small businesses are essentially trying to deceive potential clients which I, as a potential client do not appreciate being misled. With all the resources that we have available to us like Linked In, a business website, and blogs like this one, everyone has the capability to research businesses before making purchasing decisions. So it is inevitable that we will figure out the actual status of the company and in turn be disappointed by their tactics.
Do you or fellow employees embellish on your businesses?
Don’t risk a possible good business relationship with a white lie. These embellishments directly affect a brand and reputation of a business. Embrace the fact that you are a small business and use it to sell your business to success.
Have you ever exaggerated about your business or caught someone in a white lie. If so; share in the comment box below.