Trust Me, I Wouldn't Lie About This

...of all the liars among mankind, the fisherman is the most trustworthy. ~William Sherwood Fox, Silken Lines and Silver Hooks, 1954

Why is it that fishermen and salesmen have a reputation for, shall we say, stretching the truth? Well it's not without merit, that's for sure. The difference is that fishermen lie about the past whereas salesmen lie about the future.

Disclaimer: These stories may or may not be things I have actually said in the past:

That bass had to be 10 lbs! He broke my line, jumped out of the water, smirked at me and swam away! Past.

I fought this lunker for 30 minutes before landing him. Then nearly flopped off of the boat, but I grabbed him with one hand. Past.

Absolutely Mr. Prospect, I guarantee that you won't have any problems whatsoever with our product. Future.

Yes Boss, I will be turning in paperwork for 4 sales by the end of the day. Future.

The lesson here is simple. If the salesman desires to earn the title of "most trustworthy" of the liars, then he needs to stop lying about the future. Go ahead and swap war stories with your colleagues about the one that got away, or your end of the sale heroics, but don't oversell (i.e. lie) to your prospect or your boss. The true professionals in fishing and sales have, over time, earned trust and respect, and it pays huge dividends!