I saw this in a recent article I read and it has resonated with me so much that I revisit it every few days:
“Be Authentic. Always be the real you because everyone else is taken and replicas don’t sell for as much. When you’re honest with people, they trust you more and will want to work with you.”
Being authentic is the product of a series of traits, and can lead to positive relationships – both with others and with oneself.
A friend who I have not spoken to in years but follows me on Facebook gave me the best compliment when we reconnected recently when he said, “Scott, you are so authentic.” It made me stop for a moment and then made me smile. To me “authentic” is to be “true.” If I am “authentic” than I must be “true.” A feeling of self-worth rushed over me not because I felt that way but because others felt that way about me. I often say to attendees of our sales training class that “people don’t necessarily do business with people they like (even though that helps) but they do business with people they TRUST.
Trust is a powerful word and it is earned and not bestowed. You build trust though honesty and authenticity. This alone sets you apart from your competition. It is not your product, it is not the business climate and it is certainly not the price…it is the “true” and “authentic” YOU. Here a few ways to become a better YOU in sales:
- Over deliver every time
- Don’t cheat
- Be courteous, kind, generous and caring
- Deliver what you say you will deliver
- Be genuinely interested in your client
- Do business with integrity and enthusiasm
The is only one You so go out and be the most authentic You, you can be.