Being Authentic: Buzzword or Accurate Advice?
People want to hire and buy from those they know, like, and trust. That’s a universally held truth across the business world and the best way to earn the trust of your clients is to be authentic in how you present yourself.
What is authenticity?
Other than being a commonly-used buzzword these last few years, authenticity means being your true self in both words and actions.
Your words and actions should match; your passion should be evident but not looking like it’s an act. Your honesty and integrity should be evident when speaking to you. And your online persona should match your offline persona when people meet you in person.
Some businesspeople argue that there’s a subtle nuance to authenticity that really means being yourself in the correct setting. For instance, wearing shorts or a business casual outfit to a corporate meeting where the other attendees are in formal suits could be seen as a sign of disrespect, even if that’s what you wear at your beach house. If you start cursing in the middle of a staff meeting or in your emails or on your social media posts, even if that’s how you speak at home, it could be seen as disrespectful and off-putting.
No matter how you define the word authenticity, it’s an important trait when it comes to the company/personal branding and associating yourself as your company’s spokesperson.
Who Would You Do Business With?
The poorly used car salesman stereotype gets a bad rep but you can immediately picture a smarmy guy who is all pleasant to your face but then bad mouths you when out of earshot for not buying his car or asking too many questions. For most people, that would turn them off from buying because you wouldn’t know if he’s telling the truth or just wanting to sell you a car.
Personally, a salesy or sleazy salesman is a huge turn-off for me. I’d very much love to support and buy from someone who genuinely takes time to understand my needs and wants, and then proceed to recommend suitable car series for me. The same can be said for beauty or makeup sales assistants in stores as well. There’s a fine line of difference between being labeled as a nuisance versus serving from the heart.
Someone who’s authentic would have a genuine interest in wanting to help you, in this example, by recommending and selling you a skincare product that actually works for problematic acne and sensitive skin. They would answer any questions you might have and would find the answers if they didn’t know them right off the bat. They would be honest about the ingredients and customer reviews of the skincare product and would be disappointed if you walked away from them, in search for other skincare products. But you wouldn’t feel pressured to add the product to your shopping cart and buy something you don’t really believe in or are not ready for. Are you able to identify which of these above examples gives you the better authenticity vibe in this example?
Authenticity + Transparency: The Key to a Beautiful Brand
You don’t have to be perfect or wait for all the ducks in a row to start a brand or business today. You can choose to show up boldly by embracing your authentic self and being transparent.
If this seems like a daunting task, simply reach out to me via the comments below or book a session with me for a complimentary 1:1 discovery call. You will gain clarity on where you are now, your missing gaps to reach where you want to go, and the ACTIONABLE steps to draw closer to your goals.
‘Til my next post, BOSS!
All my best,
Sherlene