New entrepreneurs are overflowing with enthusiasm. They are creating their reputation, often from scratch.
Sometimes a new entrepreneur will “massage” the truth when pitching new clients or sharing their new business with contacts:
- “We have tons of experience” can be interpreted as “I’ve read about it and think I can figure it out.”
- “We have many employees” is actually “my sister helps me sometimes and I got an unpaid intern this summer.”
- “We have many customers” stems from the fact you are talking to many potential leads and one of them should materialize soon before you get found out.
What are some other extensions of truths from entrepreneurs?
- “I’ll have my admin reach out you…”, even though you don’t have an admin, it may make your company seem larger than it is.
- Business cards that say “Director” instead of “Founder/CEO” makes it appear your company is larger than it is.
- “We don’t have availability until next week” makes it appear your company is busier than it is.
Beware though. Don’t get caught being a Pinocchio. Emphasize the truth and the reality of your experiences and your situation.
Have you exaggerated about your company? Tell us more details in the comments below.
This was created by Kriti Vichare for #entrepreneurfail: Startup Success.
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