Today I want to look at Philippians 2:19-22, but specifically verse 22 “But you know his proven character…”
In this verse, Paul is talking about Timothy having proven character. Because of that, Paul was going to send Timothy to the Philippians to see how they were doing. Paul states that he has no one else who will sincerely care for them. He said everyone else was busy seeking their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ. But Timothy had proved his character by serving and putting others needs before his own.
How does this relate to our businesses? Just like Timothy being chosen for a special mission, when we are men and women of “proven character” we can be chosen by others who are looking for what we offer. In very few niches will we be the only ones offering products or services. There is always some competition out there. So, how can we get our prospective customers to choose us over our competitors? By being people of integrity and sincere proven character. People do business with those they trust. And to be trustworthy, you need to prove yourself to be honest, loyal and to sincerely care for others and put their needs above your own.
Become a Timothy in your niche. Be that person that people choose to help them because your good reputation has preceded you.
Excellent advice! I talk about this in Say What You Mean When You’re in Business and in Say What You Mean: The Language of Leadership. People will not follow you unless they see you care for the people you lead. In business, we lead folks to where they need to go and not where we need to go. We must do what is right for our customer even if it means we don’t get the sale or don’t get the bigger sale. If we don’t put our customers first, we will never get any referrals or repeat business. Business owners need to look beyond the one sale and look to the needs of their customers. Only then will we be able to see and realize the profits from these Biblical principles. Someone who NEVER buys from you could actually refer many others to you if you have shown yourself to be a Timothy.
Excellent advice JoJo!