My team and I have recently garnered several new clients: half due to marketing and the other half based on referrals. Some of the new clients have come to us with unrealistic requests. We’ve all faced those types of requests or a client that we know will potentially become difficult. So what should you do in these instances? Well honesty is key in all your business dealings. If you know you don’t have team members who are willing to do what a client expects, be honest at the outset. Unless you’re solely guided by money (which many entrepreneurs are), you should not just accept any and every client that comes your way. Success equals working the way you want to with some type of work/life balance. Here’s why honesty factors into garnering your ideal clients:

• You manage expectations. You let clients know what can and can not be accomplished, so that no one is disappointed in the new working relationship.

• You are respected as a true professional. Real professionals don’t lie to their clients or teams to get things accomplished. Respectable adults are upfront and don’t smear clients or team members behind their backs. When you foster a relationship of being open and honest, you’re respected by team members and clients alike.

• You build trust. In the online world only the foolish will trust someone they just met, whether they can see them on a call or not. The trust factor actually comes in time. When you make a habit of being honest, you build that trust, which is truly invaluable.

These are just a few reasons why honest in business equals success!

This is Shilonda Downing, signing out for Virtual Work Team LLC!