According to one person in the news, “The truth isn’t the truth.” Today’s headlines have many of us wondering which way is up! But, the news does guide business for better or for worse; it is a marriage of sorts.Observation is the best indicator for knowing whether someone is telling the truth. Long ago, I put it to the test. One person on a corporate sales team had the habit of punctuating strong statements with a quick twist of his head to the right. Unfortunately, one day I was required to take him to an appointment. I was the one who groomed the business over many months. And to my horror, he claimed the bonus attached to the sale.A few years later, the dotcom industry began to take hold. Upon applying for a job, the sales manager similarly jerked his head to the right after expressing sentiments. I knew I was in for a ride, but I badly wanted to be a part of the upcoming industry. Sure enough, I was in need of a conversation with H.R. due to his erroneous claim that a sale was his.Some readers of this blog have asked to contribute an Infographic relating to business. I always ask for an introduction to the posting. A recent intro ends one sentence with “here is the truth.” Given the uproar about truth, I suggested we delete those words. My explanation paved the way to agreement.As we observe and listen to others, we pick up our ideas of what is right or wrong. Some areas we can bend toward the outer limits while others are steadfast. In meetings, the toughest questions we need to ask are the most telling. The answers provide insight into the mindset of the person along with their silent body language communication.Truth paves the way for a satisfactory negotiation or walking out the door.In short, know your truth for what is acceptable. Stick to your principles and establish a credible personal brand . For business, apply your standard to sales, the job hunt, and entrepreneurship . In the end, you will be the one celebrating success.On occasion, fear gets in the way of asking the difficult questions. Some people kid themselves believing it’s better not to know the answer. But the ask is your way to get to the truth. Typical questions to ask may be, “What is your budget?” or “How do you select vendors?”At other times, there is a need to get an outline of all policies and procedures within a company for doing business. There will be times where you read something that raises an eyebrow. It’s best to stop on the spur of the moment and request the full meaning to make a sound decision.
