Hi boys, time for another educational article by yours truly. Do any of you have a friend that is considered a good guy? You know, the type of guy that when talking about him you always throw in the "he's a good guy" line. Of course you do; I do too, and so do most people. He's the type of guy you'll invite to your parties and to play poker on weekends. The kind of guy you would like your daughter to marry one day. And why does everyone think so fondly of your man? Because he built a good reputation. That's right folks, simply having a good reputation makes everything you do that much easier.
A good rep takes time
A good reputation is not something that is achieved overnight; it's the product of persistent action over time. A lot of people spend their days shooting their mouths off (which is why we have Big Al hanging around, he makes sure these loudmouths stay in their place). But shooting your mouth off won't get you anything but a rep for being a "blowhard." A good reputation is earned by saying the right things and following up with the right actions.
So what kind of actions will help you earn that golden rep? More than anything else, you have to do the things that will affect people in a good way. From carrying Mrs. Gambino's groceries home for her when you were a kid to spending the night caring for a sick friend -- you get the picture. You don't necessarily have to do big things, but you must do a continuous string of small good deeds.
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A bad rep takes no time
So here you are, Mr. Joe Blow working hard at building a solid reputation. You own a business and have been smiling at customers and offering them the best prices for over 20 years. Everything is peachy; in fact, you have a reputation for having the best produce section in town. But what happens when you switch wholesalers to get a better price and the produce isn't quite as nice anymore? This is when your rep gets hit.
Even if your margins are up and you are happy, customers are complaining. The next thing you know, business has dropped and you aren't seeing many familiar faces anymore. What happened? Word got around that you aren't quite what you used to be. In other words, you're slipping, and your 20-year rep was destroyed in a matter of weeks.
How you get a bad rep
How many times have you seen a respected member of your community, an elder businessman, politician or school principal destroy their hard-earned rep with one incredibly stupid action. The principal gets caught with child pornography; a politician gets caught in bed with two hookers and 10 empty vials of crack; hospital administrators get caught with their hands in the cookie jar, embezzling hospital funds that should have gone to help sick people get well.
My point is that it often takes a lifetime to build a good rep, but it only takes one day and one stupid action to destroy it. So watch your step.
Reputations stick
The thing to understand about a rep is that it sticks. As you start out in life and begin building your reputation, people will label you with a good or bad rep (some people have a neutral rep, but they aren't usually good for much, so I won't waste my time discussing their pathetic case). If you have a good rep, you can usually get away with doing some bad things while keeping your rep intact. People may say things like "he strayed from the path," or "he had a lapse in judgment." Either way, they won't hold it against you for very long -- assuming the behavior was temporary.
The problem is when you get labeled with a bad rep early on. Even if you go to church every Sunday and help old ladies cross the street, people will still think you are a bad apple waiting to wreck havoc. Don't ever forget: A reputation is for a lifetime. Do you think anyone will ever trust Jim Bakker again? Me thinks not. He can repent publicly for the next eternity and promise he will never do it again, but it won't change a thing. He's been labeled a bad apple and that's the way it'll stay.
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Bad rep, bad business
If you've acquired a bad rep, it won't just hinder your personal life, but also your business dealings. When money changes hands, the principals usually want to feel comfortable with the person they're dealing with. If the person has a well-established reputation as a shyster, whether it is deserved or not, then it is very likely that not many people will want to do business with him.
It doesn't matter if you own a retail store, a law firm, an Internet company, or a shoeshine box; if you have a bad rep, you will not do good business. The people that you will deal with are likely to be those that don't have much choice other than to deal with you. The bottom feeders of the world will be your clients -- that is, if you even manage to keep any customers at all.
News spreads fast
One more thing about a rep: It usually spreads really fast. "Have you heard about so and so, he's been heavy into the nose candy for a while." That's all you need to hear about someone to automatically label them bad for business. And don't kid yourself into thinking no one will find out; eventually everything comes out in the open. After that, you just have to deal with the consequences.
The vouch test
An easy way to gage someone's rep is the "vouch" test. It works like this: If you had to vouch for someone (that means to give them your stamp of approval in some important matter and be responsible for them were they to screw up), would you do so without reservation? For example, a good friend of mine, is someone I automatically vouch for. The man has earned it as a true man of respect. If you wouldn't vouch for someone, it means you don't trust them. This means that, in your opinion, their rep is a little on the shady side.
The bottom line
Start building a strong rep at a young age and guard it with your life, because chances are it will stick with you for life. If you have to do "bad" things (hey, life ain't a picnic) keep them concealed; the less people know, the less it can hurt you in the future. And one more thing: Don't go around pissing on people's reps. If you want to stay out of trouble, the best policy is silence.
Watch your backs boys, and keep your noses clean.
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