Wow, pretty harsh title, isn’t it? The truth may be ugly, but it’s still the truth.
Why do people lie when they don’t need to? I am mainly referring to excuses that are flung around when the actual truth would be perfectly acceptable. I know it happens in every circle around the world, but allow me to give you a few examples that are frequented within the direct sales industry, at least within my experience. Actually it’s not limited to just the direct selling industry; it happens in plenty of other industries too.
1. Invitations to home parties or team meetings. Some people love going to home parties; others “¦ not so much. Rather than saying something simple such as, “I won’t be able to make it.” Period. No further elaboration needed, instead you get an excuse that is so transparent and it goes on and on and on with every little minute detail and it is so obscure that the fibber doesn’t even realize she is spewing such nonsense. It’s an insult to my intelligence when people toss me a load of crap and think I am buying it.
2. I’m going to sign up with you right now. I am a huge proponent in shopping for sponsors. I’ve said on a number of occasions that I don’t think you should necessarily go with the first person you talk with. Finding a good fit is important. Yet after you spend weeks and phone calls and emails and mailings with a person and they tell you how fabulous you are and how they can’t wait to join your team, then they sign with someone else, and then lie about it, it’s an insult to my intelligence.
Don’t misunderstand, the fact that they opted to join another team isn’t the issue, it truly isn’t. It’s that they lied about it, either lied with some cockamamie story about how they inadvertently signed with someone else, or they lied when they said they were going to go enroll with me as soon as they hung up – but then they flaunt on online forums how they just joined (with someone else).
3. I mailed it last week. You didn’t get it? Whether it’s a catalog or a product or anything else, when someone says I mailed it or I will mail it tomorrow, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect that they will. Sure, life gets in the way sometimes and it may take a day longer than anticipated, but the whole “the check is in the mail” load of malarkey doesn’t cut it. I used to work for the USPS and I know that most mail, generally 95% or better gets delivered on time (1-3 days) and even if a mail piece takes a detour and gets lost, it almost always turns up at the delivery address.
They didn’t mail it; or they didn’t mail it when they said they would. So rather than say, “I know I said I’d mail it Tuesday but it didn’t actually go out until Thursday” or “Oh gosh, I totally dropped the ball. Your package is sitting right here, I’m sorry I’m taking it to the post office this afternoon so it goes out today” they choose to lie, and insult my intelligence
I also frequently have documented evidence of the lie, yet the liar keeps on with the story apparently unaware she’s already been busted. It’s like I have always told my kiddos, the lie will always be 100 times worse than the truth. I don’t care what you did; just don’t lie. I have zero respect for liars.
I don’t know what’s worse – that people lie or that they think I fell off the turnip truck yesterday and that I’m buying their story. If I sound angry or bitter, I’m really not. It’s not that I’m upset that people lie, because it happens so often. I’m not cynical about it; just stating the facts. It just amazes me that there are so many Liars Liars with Pants on Fire who honestly think they are getting away with their untruths.
Really people, knock it off. The truth is so much better than your web of falsehood. Really.
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