Dangling Carrots Should Be Juiced

It’s funny…I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard some version of “this could turn out to be a long-term opportunity if you….”

discount your services. do it our way. work really, really hard. play your cards right. do the work pro bono. pass our secret test.

Don’t fall for the carrot! (or the banana in the tailpipe) If you hear such phrases, proceed with caution. Ask yourself: Should I trust this person? Is this ethical? What are the chances they actually have my best interests in mind?

What’s the angle of the dangle? Or the reason behind the statement? It could be a number of things: To have power over you. To bribe you to do their bidding. To mislead you. But the #1 reason is: To get something without paying for it.

Don’t gladly pay Tuesday for a hamburger today. And don’t dangle carrots lest ye be dangled a carrot in return. (wha…?) Don’t do it to your employees. Don’t do it to your prospects, or business partners or vendors. Don’t do it. It’s not House of Cards, people. Everyone just settle down.

There’s always potential for something bigger happening in the future because of what you are doing right now. But that occurs because of the work you are doing and the relationships you have in business—healthy relationships in which people can trust one another.

Toss the carrots with a little olive oil and eat up. You’ll need the energy for the authentic, unexploited work you’re doing.