PureInsight | November 4, 2007
[PureInsight.org] The great
Japanese entrepreneur Koike once said, "The first key to a successful
business is honesty. Honesty is to business like the roots are to a
tree. Without the roots, there will be no tree." His statement
summarizes the lessons he learned from his experience.
Koike came from a very poor family. When he was 20 years old, he was a
salesman for a machinery company. At one point, he was very successful
and, within two weeks, he had 33 customers. Later, he found out that
the merchandise they sold was more expensive than the same item with
comparable function from other companies. He thought that all his
customers would have doubts about his credibility if they should find
out. Therefore, he took three days to visit his customers one by one
with their orders and deposits. He told them that his company charged
more for the same item and was ready to accept their cancellation.
His honesty moved everyone. As a result, not even one of his customers
cancelled the order and his customers trusted and admired him even more.
Honesty sure has its irresistible charm. It is like a strong magnet
that radiates strong magnetic force. And people were just like little
metal pieces and got sucked into Koike's store to buy goods. Not long
after that, he made a fortune.
After he became successful, he told his employees, "All of you should
remember, the most important thing in business is looking after your
customers' interests. That is better than any tricks."
Some merchants like to mark up their merchandise a lot and adopt
unethical methods to deceive customers. They believe that it is a
shortcut for wealth. However, they forget that they can only fool a few
customers but not all the customers. Once their tactics are exposed,
they become the real victims. But the really smart businessmen know
that running a business depends on credibility. Treating customers with
honesty and earning their trust are the foundation for a good business.
　　
Translation From:
http://xinsheng.net/xs/articles/gb/2002/6/10/15367.htm
