Yeah, TOO ethical!? Lately, with some of
issues I've had to deal with in my day to day business activities it seems I am one of rare few who is concerned about proper ethics and is naturally inclined to react with integrity. The last straw was when faced with a dilemma of one of my client’s competitors "cheating" for positioning online by using tactics obviously against terms of service for most search sites, in this case Google. I explained that they had great listings (only one slot below cheaters) and that our plan was for long term successes while other guy’s could end at any moment. I then had to listen to this client lecture that I was too ethical when I would not use these same tactics to help gain listings for their site. They then commented "We'll have to work on you!"
Work on making me less ethical? Work on getting me to agree to break rules? It seems as of late my solid methodology of strong business staples, knowledge acquisition and long term strategizing seems to be making me a real PIA. See, I am not one of those who will say what a potential client wants to hear just to get call back stating "send us a contract." Nor do I cater to hype and online schemes of quick results or easy income just to book another billable hour. Silly me.
How about all those online auctions where item’s price is $1.00 only to find out they charge you balance of product’s cost in "shipping and handling" fees? I sure wish eBay would nip that in bud! Shipping and handling should be shipping and handling, not a combo of product’s price just so seller can be listed as least expensive when in fact they are not.
I contacted one such seller online about this strategy and was typed to as though I was idiot “do math” he said. Is everything online turning into best man wins that figures out how to use deceptive practices or sugar-coat reality to point of making your teeth ache just to make a buck? On second thought, don’t answer that...
I've been doing this long enough to know all red flags, hype and pitfalls. And some of them do work in short term - with certain demographics. I also know right way to do things and that if followed you will succeed - but you may not have instant results all fast, cheap and easy noise online claims is possible. When you deviate from line of what is right, it will always hit you in back of head. Yes, sooner or later sometimes later but what comes around always does go around even online.
