New Seniors

Pre-boomers remember the time when people said things like, “His word is his bond,” and “honesty is the best policy,” or “a promise is a promise.” Maybe we didn’t understand the ramifications of these clichés, but it turned out we were learning the concept of trust and how important this was in personal and business relationships and the establishment of individual reputations.

Over the years, we have come to depend less on what others may say than we do on how their words are spun or in what an attorney puts in a contract on behalf of a client. Politicians employ the spin as a way of deflecting the consequences of their own words while business people depend on contracts designed to protect them rather than focus on the reasons they’re engaged in the relationship to begin with.

It’s easy to understand why elected representatives avoid the truth or talk out of both sides of their mouths; they want to please all their constituents, but by trying to satisfy everyone they end up pleasing no one. Motives of the business men and women are not as simple to quantify, because there are myriad reasons for them to be less than forthright. None of which are acceptable.

Greed and fear top the list of reasons why business is not at the top of the list of honest professions. I know, having spent the past 50 years in the advertising agency business. But, I must say, there was never a time I was involved with an ad or commercial where we deliberately lied to consumers. In retrospect, there were instances when I maybe should have questioned what the client’s perception of the truth. I must admit it’s an adman’s nature to believe in the client’s product, just as it is our nature to embellish the benefit story in order to enhance the product’s image. Nonetheless, the best agency/client relations were those made on a handshake and maintained through an honest and fair working relationship. I never could understand how a service business is sustainable without integrity.

Responsible behavior, or lack thereof, may be why many of America’s companies are not experiencing success, today. When I started in the business, only top management was aware of the firm’s profitability. At the lower levels, our job was to execute, and do it to the best of our abilities, allowing the money to come as a result. Today, everyone in an organization seems to know about the numbers. This is partially due to the emphasis on making profit goals — not on an annual, quarterly or monthly basis — weekly or even daily requirement must be met.

Instant communications has sped up the way commerce is done, but this is not an excuse for not being honest in way we do business. Wise business people know success is measured on more than just a good the bottom line. Product quality, employee morale and customer satisfaction can sustain a company through difficult financial times and put the firm in a position to garner more business as the marketplace turns around. This is a result of residual trust, much like that which comes by doing business with a handshake.

Don Potter: Editor-in-Chief

Don Potter, a veteran of the ad agency business, is a Philadelphia native currently living in Los Angeles. He is the author of an acclaimed marketing book, The 50+ Boomer: Your Key to 76 Million Consumers. In retirement, Potter has written two novels, hundreds of articles and is a frequent lecturer. A leading advocate for those 65+, he is a founder of NewSeniors.com.

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