Honesty is not about telling the truth
Here’s what I think it is
Honesty isn’t solely about telling the truth. It’s about knowing what truth to tell and when to tell it.
Let me explain.
I got a request for a conversation with an old acquaintance. Let’s call him David. Apparently, the gig economy hasn’t favoured David yet. Based in a third-world country and faced with intermittent power and internet issues, his clients and potential clients do not trust him to deliver on time. Possibly because of various negative experiences, they always ask about power and internet stability, which often becomes a deciding factor.
True to his morals and values, David always tells the truth, affirming the struggles and challenges he faces with power and internet connections.
In a bid not to jump into needless/unsolicited advice, I decided that we do a thought experiment.
Here it goes.
Let’s assume you are a client who contracted a job to a freelancer and made an initial upfront payment. Now, let’s say delivery was a challenge due to power and internet issues on the contractor’s end and the delivery timeline wasn’t met, bringing with it some unplanned ripple effects.
Now you have another project. You decide to contract another freelancer — someone living in the same geographical area as the previous one (for some reason). You’ve had a negative experience before, so you inquire about the power and internet situation with the new contractor.
What response would you prefer? And which would give you more confidence?
A. I have all that sorted and can ensure no such challenges arise once the project starts.
B. I will be honest — I have internet and power challenges.
Take a moment to ponder on this too before proceeding.
David’s choice response, as expected, was A. I assume that was yours too. It is mine as well.
Both responses A and B can be true. A is more likely to come from someone committed to excellence in service delivery. B should only belong to informal conversations, not delicate conversations like the one above. I would rather work with someone who has their act together than with someone who cries, “Woe is me!” when faced with challenges.
Business is war, they say. And largely, the difference between success and failure in business is timeliness — first-mover advantage, they call it.
Beyond that, you want to make a promise to your clients or stakeholders and keep it. That’s how you stay in business. For startups without any reputation, this is even more important. Your early users are not just testing your product or service — they’re testing you, someone once said.
Back to the conversation.
As a follow-up to our discussion, David asked, “How about being honest instead of overpromising and disappointing?”
Well, the thing is, whether you’re a freelancer, solopreneur, entrepreneur, or businessperson (whatever the name), your price should consist of the cost of production, your profit, and some miscellaneous allowance in case things go wrong. Logistics, they call it.
One thing I’ve learned in four years of entrepreneurship is this: The price is the price. You don’t want to compromise on it. It is the difference between doing good work, and grunt work, at least for me.
Sure, there is always room for negotiation, especially for service providers. But that should be value-based instead of solely price-based. If the deliverables or expectations can be adjusted, the price can too — in some cases.
I think the answer for David would be something like this:
“Charge whatever allows you to do excellent work, and be unapologetic about it.”
