Do they see you as a huckster? aka: Be careful what you glorify...

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Sandi Bowman

There ARE good people out there with some altruistic motives but they're fewer in number than they used to be, I believe. Maybe it's just my perception but I think this 'shrinking of caring' attitude is partly why folks like me become jaded and fed up with the internet a lot of times. You can only be pushed so far, disappointed so many times, before one looks elsewhere for the good life. Been there, done that.

I think what it often boils down to is whether businesspeople take a "long term" or a "short term" approach...

When businesspeople take a "long term" approach, it "naturally" leads to a situation that is both good for them and for the customer. A long term approach usually means trying to make repeat sales to their customers. A customer won't buy repeatedly unless they are happy. So a businessperson with a long-term view will naturally want happy customers, so they'll become repeat customers.

With a long term approach, the pressure is on the businessperson to make sure their customers are happy. It's win/win!

However, when businesspeople take a "short term" approach, then there is more tendency to exaggerate, lie, etc. They're not thinking about repeat sales - just making the sale (usually a high priced one), taking the money, and disappearing. There is much less incentive to please the customer - since they're not aiming for repeat sales anyway. There's a bigger chance it will be win/lose.

I think, as long as you take a long term approach, you'll "naturally" head in the direction of trying to please your customers. I think your chances of success are also higher, if you aim for repeat sales, rather than once-off sales. I believe it is a more "solid" approach to building a business...

- Dien