DWYSYWD – The 7 Letters You Absolutely Need to Succeed

A good friend of mine has “DWYSYWD” as his vanity license plate. The first time I saw it on his bumper, I looked at him and said, “Do What You Say You Will Do.” He smiled and told me, “You’re the first person who ever guessed it on the first try.”

It made me both happy and sad to hear him say that. Happy because, well, I got it on the first try. Sad because no one else had ever guessed it, and it’s such a critical philosophy to succeed — not just in business, but in all aspects of life.

To succeed in business, keep your promises to your customers and clients. Deliver on time, or even early. Respond when you say you will. Provide the services you say you provide in your correspondence and in your marketing. Follow up. Communicate. Do What You Say You Will Do.

To succeed as an employee, keep your promises to your employers. Show up on time, do the thing they hired you to do, do it fully, do it well, and do it with a positive attitude. Do What You Say You Will Do.

To succeed as a spouse, keep your promises to your partner. From the very first promise you made each other: “To love, honor and cherish,” to the promise you made last Sunday to sweep the damn kitchen floor. Do What You Say You Will Do.

To succeed as a parent, keep your promises to your kids. If you have to work late and can’t make the Little League game, don’t say you’ll be there. But if you say you’ll be there, then show up, and cheer loud. If you say you’ll “turn this car around if you don’t sit still,” you better plan to bang a uey. Be the parent who means it. If you don’t plan to keep the promise, don’t make the promise. Do What You Say You Will Do.

To succeed as a person, keep the promises you make yourself. Start the exercise program. Take the class. Launch the business. Write the blog post. Stick to the budget. Do What You Say You Will Do.

Will you always be able to keep your promises? No. Nobody’s perfect. But when you see those moments coming, communicate as soon as possible with whomever you made the promise to. Be honest, and be accountable. Do What You Say You Will Do, even when you can’t do something.

Do What You Say You Will Do.

It’s a pretty simple philosophy, and it will make you better at everything. You’ll feel better about yourself, and you’ll build a reputation among those around you as a person of integrity and reliability.

And who wouldn’t want that label?

At Slater’s Garage Ads & Audio, we help small businesses put a unique voice to their marketing through a combination of audio, video and social media. To find out how we can help you bring your marketing to life, contact us today.