More Life and Business Lessons I learned from Reading Louis L’Amour…Living by Your Word

This life lesson I probably should have made the first of the lessons that I learned by reading Louis L’Amour, it is the lesson of honesty, well, it could also be defined as integrity.  Like many of the lessons that are underlying in Louis L’Amour’s books, this is a timeless message.  It isn’t just the Cowboy Code, but is found in the basis of all major religions.

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In Louis L’Amour’s books if a character gave his word, or said that he was going to do something, nothing would stop that character from accomplishing what he said that he was going to do.  This was also a distinguishing attribute from the good guy hero and the bad guy. 

It was more than just keeping your word.  It was the way that you lived your life.  If someone was paying you to do a job, you worked for your wages, the honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay sort of thing.

It was also the way that you treated other people.  They had your respect until they did something to lose that respect.  It was also the way that you lived your life.  You did the right even when no one was watching.  You didn’t do things with the excuse; just because I can. Your reputation was the most important thing that you had, so you worked to maintain it.

 This applies to us today more so than I can remember in the past.  We tell a client that we’re going to do something, we do it. We make no excuses, nor any exceptions.  We also treat that client and other agents with respect, and we give them the benefit of the doubt.  It means putting your own wants and desires aside until you have filled the other person’s needs. 

Even though we aren’t paid until the deal closes, that has no bearing on whether we do what we say that we were going to do.  It has no bearing on how we show others respect.  In fact we need to do that even on deals that crash or fall apart.  It is part of this career choice. We also need to make sure that we are not the reason that the deal didn’t close. This is one of the main attributes that will make clients want to refer you to their friends and family.   

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