Planning for Your Best Year Ever in 2027
The Pre-Planning Phase
–A Four-Part Series based on The Four Agreements–
Part One
by
Bob Marshall
October 27th, 2026
Agreement #1: Be Impeccable with Your Word
Speak with integrity.
Take responsibility for your actions.
Let your words reflect the person you want to be.
Every client and every candidate wants an honest recruiter.
After more than 46 years in this business, I can’t think of a successful big biller whose long-term success was built on telling fibs, making promises they couldn’t keep, or saying whatever was necessary to get a deal done.
The best recruiters I’ve known are straight shooters. They tell the truth, keep their commitments, and take responsibility when something goes wrong.
Their clients and candidates know where they stand. And that trust becomes one of the most valuable assets in their business.
As my favorite CFO once told me:
“If you treat people with honesty, that honesty will be returned to you. But if you treat people like crooks, they will start acting like crooks.”
Think about that for a moment.
How often do we influence the very behavior we complain about?
If you make a commitment to a hiring manager, keep it. If you promise a candidate an update, provide one—even when there’s no good news. And if you make a mistake, own it. Don’t hide behind excuses or blame someone else.
Your word should mean something, especially when keeping it is inconvenient.
What Does This Have to Do with Planning for 2027?
Everything.
As you prepare for a new year, don’t focus exclusively on production goals, revenue targets, or the number of placements you want to make.
Ask yourself a different question:
What kind of recruiter must I become to achieve the results I want?
Consider your daily commitments. Do you consistently follow through? Do you communicate honestly when a search encounters a problem? Do your clients and candidates trust what you tell them?
These aren’t just questions about character. They’re questions about the quality of your recruiting business.
Trust makes communication easier. Honest communication helps prevent misunderstandings. And when people believe what you tell them, you have a stronger foundation for building lasting business relationships.
You can’t control every hiring decision, candidate response, or market condition. But you can control the integrity you bring to every interaction.
That makes this first agreement a worthwhile place to begin your pre-planning for 2027.
A Short Story: The Call He Didn’t Want to Make
Imagine a recruiter who has introduced a strong candidate to a hiring manager.
The interview went well. The candidate is excited. The hiring manager has indicated that an offer is likely.
Then the situation changes. The company puts the position on hold.
The recruiter has two choices.
He can delay calling the candidate, hoping the problem will somehow disappear. Or he can pick up the phone, explain what has happened, and deliver news the candidate doesn’t want to hear.
He makes the call.
The candidate is disappointed, naturally. But the recruiter has respected the candidate enough to tell the truth.
Several months later, that same candidate refers a colleague to the recruiter. Why?
Because the candidate remembers how the recruiter handled the bad news—not just how he behaved when everything was going well.
That’s how trust is earned. Not by always having good news, but by being honest when you don’t.
As you prepare for 2027, remember this: Your reputation is being built by what you say, what you do, and whether the two match.
Be impeccable with your word.
Your business—and your future—will be better for it.
Next Tuesday, November 3: Part Two — Agreement #2: Don’t Take Anything Personally..