Matthew 5:37 says to let your yes be yes and your no be no. That anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Perhaps the single most important quality in a successful person in the marketplace is that of someone who does what he says he’s going to do. One of the biggest problems in business is when a company or an individual overpromises and underdelivers.

How many times have we heard of a situation where in order to get the order or make the sale, a salesperson tells the customer, “Sure, we can do that,” before he even knows whether or not the promise can be fulfilled? Before promising anybody anything, make sure that you can and will deliver.

There’s no quicker way to break the trust of a coworker, employee, or customer than to break a promise. It’s better to underpromise and overdeliver than to overpromise and underdeliver. So make sure you keep your word. To your customers, to your boss, coworkers, and subordinates, and especially to your spouse and family.

Is there a situation where someone is depending on a commitment or a promise that you’ve made to them? Maybe a customer or a coworker is waiting on something from you. Of course it’s important to remember that sometimes circumstances change that makes it impossible to keep your promises. But it’s critical to do all that you can do and go the extra mile to keep those promises. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. If you’ll do this, you’ll be applying the truth at work.