Words are powerful instruments. They can be used to give guidance, offer encouragement, and create inspiration. They can also be used for deception to benefit one individual to the disadvantage of another. One way to help ensure a person’s words are followed by appropriate actions to back them up is to get those words in writing.
Whether it’s speaking to a person from an unsolicited phone call or a business representative that you contacted, an agreement is best enforced when it’s in writing. Some individuals will say anything to get a person to agree to a deal. It could be someone selling an investment instrument, a new vehicle, or a cell phone package that offers a tempting arrangement. Elements of that deal might be beyond what the representative is permitted to offer, however, and the person might renege on a part of the transaction. A verbally quoted price could end up being a larger amount after the transaction is complete. The representative could also lie and say he or she never offered certain elements of a deal.
Before agreeing to any deal, ask to get the offer in writing. If the person is unwilling or unable to provide such documentation, then it could be a forewarning that the arrangement might not turn out as you expect. Don’t agree to the deal. If the representative claims it’s a time sensitive offer and pushes you to accept the deal immediately before it expires, don’t agree to the deal. If the person threatens you or tells you that’s you’ll be sorry if you don’t accept the deal that very moment, don’t agree to the deal.
Anyone can tell you anything to make you take an action, but what that person promises in exchange for your action might never happen. Some unscrupulous people say whatever they think is necessary to complete a transaction. A good way to make a person support his or her claims is to get the agreement in writing before agreeing to it. Even if the agreement is in writing it doesn’t necessarily mean that the person will follow through, but it is a good way to gauge an initial sincerity in an offer. If the individual doesn’t do as agreed upon in the written document, then you can consider legal remedies to correct the deficiency, using the document as written evidence of the agreement details.
While it would be nice if everyone followed through on what they verbalize, the reality is that actions from some verbal agreements will never materialize. Always insist on a written instrument to back up those verbal claims to have a better chance at receiving what you expect from a transaction.