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Have you noticed that tardiness is on the rise? People are chronically late for work; for their child’s teacher conference or athletic contest; or even for parties and celebrations. As the old saying goes, “they will even be late for their own funeral.” Yet, punctuality is one of the key ways that we can positively brand ourselves.
Today we will explore why it is so important to be on time for all of your scheduled events. Whatever your appointment may be—a phone call, a business meeting, or a dinner engagement—you should always strive to be on time.
Why Be on Time?
Being on time:
- Demonstrates that you are diligent and dependable.
- Indicates that you honor your commitments and you can be trusted.
- Shows that you have respect for other people and that you care as much about their time as your own.
- Sets a good example for your children and others who look up to you.
- Builds self-confidence and success.
One of the common attributes of all successful people is that they view their time as a precious resource. When you are late for appointments with people who value their time, you will have wasted one of their most valuable assets and there is a good chance they will view you as rude, irresponsible and disrespectful. Is this how you want to brand yourself?
Not only should you make every effort to be on time for business-related appointments, but you should also do your utmost to be on time for personal commitments. Valuing your friend’s time and earning their respect is an important part of your individual reputation.
Let’s now look at two specific business scenarios where punctuality is critical.
Keeping Appointments
Not only should you strive to be on time for an appointment, but also I recommend that you set a goal to arrive at least five minutes early.
Four Reasons You Should Arrive Early:
1. To give yourself a buffer in case something delays you. Planning to show up at the exact time of your appointment leaves no room for error.
2. To be relaxed for the appointment. Running through the door stressed out because you were rushing, never reflects well on you.
3. To make sure you are prepared for the appointment. Always arrive early so you will have a few minutes to relax, think about your agenda, and get organized.
If I am meeting with some prospective clients at a restaurant, I select a table out of the way. Being early gives me the opportunity to determine the best location for the meeting and ensure that the clients are not distracted.
4. To avoid making up an excuse for being late. I don’t know about you, but I hate listening to excuses and even worse, I hate making excuses.
When I was a realtor, I would arrive for my appointments five minutes early to gather my presentation materials and review any notes I had taken. Then at the exact time of the appointment I would ring the bell. This was an easy way to make a great first impression.
Making Scheduled Phone Calls
When you schedule phone calls, always be clear about who’s responsible for initiating the call. When you don’t know who is initiating the call, then accept the responsibility and make the call at the scheduled time. This puts you in control.
If you are the person responsible for initiating the call, what kind of impression will you make? Will it be positive, neutral or negative? If you want to really gain the edge in life, take advantage of all opportunities to make a positive impression on others.
- Negative Impression—If you call more than five minutes early or more than five minutes late, you run the risk of making a negative impression.
- Neutral Impression—If you call one or two minutes early or one or two minutes late you will likely not make any impression because it’s what most people do.
- Positive Impression—When you call at the exact time of your call, you have the opportunity to make a positive impression. I have had hundreds of people tell to me, “Wow, you are right on time!” That comment tells me that I made an impact!
When you have a call scheduled, write it in your appointment book and if necessary set your cell phone alarm to notify you two minutes in advance. Then at the exact time, press “send.”
When Your Best Plan Fails
Circumstances do arise and it won’t always be possible to be on time. If you are going to be late for an appointment, call as soon as you know you are going to be late. This allows others to plan their schedules accordingly. Cell phones, PDA’s and other technology make this an easy thing to do.
When you are on time you enhance your brand. When you are late, you devalue your brand. Being on time is a choice.
Let me encourage you to take pride in being a person who is always on time and prepared for your appointments. Remember, there is no downside in showing up early, but there is significant downside to showing up late.
Is being on time a challenge for you? I encourage you to share your experiences in the comment section below.
You can be respected, as someone who is always on time, if being on time is important to you.
About the Author: Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 30 years and founder of Little Things Matter. To receive Todd’s daily lessons, subscribe here. All Todd’s lessons are also available on iTunes as downloadable podcasts. (Todd’s podcasts are ranked #27 in America’s top 100 podcasts and #1 in the personal and development field.)
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As a dynamic entrepreneur for 30 years, Todd Smith has enjoyed professional success, ranking him in the top 1/100 of 1 percent of the people in his chosen fields. His podcasts are the # 1 most subscribed to podcasts in personal and professional development field (exclusive of iTunes).