Authenticity Sells
At the risk of sounding cliché, this post is about the importance of being yourself.
Sometimes we believe that we are not enough. We convince ourselves that we need to make all these changes in order for people to take us seriously. They could be changes to the business such as your brand message or product packaging, and sometimes the changes are as personal as physical appearance. When you’re willing to do whatever it takes to sell, it can be difficult to stay grounded and remember what it is that got you started in the first place. However, the secret to making a difference in any industry is authenticity.
We’ve all told a lie at some point in our lives. When you tell a lie, you often have to tell a few more lies to back up your story. Then, the next time someone brings up the incident you have to struggle to remember everything you initially said. It’s a lot of work! Telling the truth translates to your business as well. It’s much easier to do and say what comes naturally to you. Plus, no one wants to work with a liar. Give us the real deal.
People can tell when you are pretending to be who you are not; It’s obvious. No one likes to feel like they’ve been tricked. Give your audience a real message from a real person. Social media posts with pictures of people’s faces perform better than those without. Why? Because ultimately, people want to be able to connect with others on some level. Use your personality to appeal to your audience. When your audience feels you are showing them the real you, they will be more receptive of your message.
One of the issues with trying to imitate something that already exists is the fact that you've given yourself a competitor before you've even started. Many a time, you'll be competing with a brand that's already established its presence in the market. If you present your authentic self to your audience, you never have to worry about someone else putting out a product or service that's exactly like yours. There's only one you!
Finally, if you do it for nothing else, remain authentic for yourself. Being praised for your ability to put up a great facade is one thing. However, there’s nothing more gratifying than being accepted for who you truly are.
Learning to be a salesperson is a necessary part of being a successful entrepreneur. If you love what your business can do for others you will be motivated to sell yourself, your product or your service. Being pulled to do something from the inside is more powerful than being pushed to do it from the outside. Sales is not just something you have to do for your business, sales should be something you want to do for your customers.
Here are a few characteristics of great salespeople.