Loyalty: the Key to Success

By John Teng

Never underestimate the power of loyalty. It is a vital ingredient to business success. Without loyal customers, your business will fail to grow and without loyal employees, your business will falter. You need people to trust what you have to say; believe in what you offer; and follow your lead.

Developing a loyal following is never easy. It takes hard work, determination and an ability to make people trust you. Fail to follow-through and the people in your life will stop believing – in you and in your business.

Think about the most successful businesses in history. Maybe one was a hotel franchise; while another was a local restaurant. Two totally different types of businesses, yet both achieving great success. What was their common denominator? Loyalty. They worked to earn their customers’ trust and in return those same customers came back time and time again. Their businesses grew as their customers recommended them to family and friends.

Similarly, those same businesses could have never succeeded if they didn’t have employees who trusted in what the ownership was doing. They believed in the goal and worked hard for its achievement. In the end, both employee and management experienced the highest level of accomplishment.

You can do the same in your business dealings. Be the kind of man that your employees respect, and your customers trust. Be fair. Be honest. Be a team player. This doesn’t mean that you have to be everyone’s “pal” or that you shouldn’t stand up for yourself and your business. What it does mean is to be a person of integrity.

Your prime responsibility is to be the kind of leader that people look up to. Never take short cuts in your business dealings, and always play fair. Sure you may be able to muscle out a better deal today; but at what cost for tomorrow? It is these kinds of actions that people notice and respond too. When that big contract comes along, the person you treated fairly during those hard negotiations is going to be on your side.

Don’t be the person who is out to make a quick buck at everyone else’s’ expense.

Treat people with disregard and disrespect and they will remember you for a long time – and they won’t remember you kindly.

Instead, be the kind of salesman; manager; and business associate that people acknowledge; turn to; and respect. People with integrity survive life’s roughest storms, while those who are only out for themselves tend to falter and fade away. Invest in the people around you and reap the rewards; both within your business dealings and in your life.