A Sense of Pride. It Still Matters a Great Deal

Post by Anthony Iannarino
February 22, 2011

I don’t know when, how, or why pride went away. But I know that nobody talks about it anymore.

Maybe pride has been lost because our culture—especially television, and now YouTube—is full of examples of people who have no pride and who willingly exploit themselves. Our culture, unfortunately, is one that applauds your lowering your personal standard. Raising your standard is seen as an affront.

But pride isn’t only missing in popular culture. In business—and in sales—pride has also disappeared, and it’s noticeable.

Pride still matters. It matters a great deal, and in sales, too.

Setting a Personal Standard

Pride has nothing to do with ego or vanity, far from it. Pride is setting a personal standard, excellence in all things, and holding to that standard. It comes from your willingness and your ability to stand against the tide, and to do what is right in your heart of hearts. This is where having pride in excellence becomes crucial.

Pride is about character. It’s about integrity. It’s about discipline and will. It’s the visible demonstration that you will not do what is easy over what is right, or what may benefit you over the short term at the expense of the longer term.

Your strong sense of pride indicates to others that it matters to you very much who you are and what it means to be you.

Your pride in your personal standard and in your work translates to honesty, integrity, and credibility, and these translate to trust. Someone with a sense of pride can be trusted to keep their word. They can be trusted to deliver the results that they promise; their pride won’t allow anything less.

Not Accepting Less Than What Is Possible

Pride is also important because it demonstrates that you will not accept less than what is possible, less than your best.

Your dream client wants someone who is going to go the distance to help them get the results that they need, even when going the distance isn’t going be easy. Especially when going the distance isn’t going to be easy.

To your dream clients, your strong sense of pride means that if you put your name on the project, you will be there and you will do what is necessary to ensure that it is as good as it can be. It means that you won’t stop trying until it is that good. It means that you will strive for excellence.