"Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out."
Proverbs 10:9
With trust in sales being ridiculously low. With skepticism being at all time highs. And with the B.S. meter... Well, we know where that meter sits, the question for all of you...
Are you waking with integrity?
Is honesty, integrity and transparency important characteristics to you?
Quite frankly, these are foundational aspects of healthy relationships. Why? Because anything built on a lie isn’t made to last since it will not provide security and comfort.
Let that one simmer, as you think about your clients.
"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight."
Proverbs 12:22
You can’t build anything solid, long-lasting and meaningful when someone isn’t telling the truth.
So, how do you build deep meaningful client relationships? You bring honesty, integrity and transparency to the forefront. You carry yourself with congruency. You simply lean-in to your clients, and you give a rip about them.
I believe all of this starts in the heart. Its one's commitment to lead a pure, righteous and forthright lifestyle. This doesn’t mean perfection, it means walking in grace and leading with gratitude. It's doing the right thing no matter who is or isn’t watching you because it's the right thing to do.
"Secrecy breeds suspicion. Transparency breeds trust"
Pastor Craig Groeschel
Transparency reveals your character. Transparency is all about intentionally sharing your soul to the world by showing your true self to others.
Being transparent is powerful. It's hard to be transparent if you're not transparent with yourself.
Are you living a transparent sales lifestyle?
If not, what's holding you back?
A transparent sales professional throws the entire deck of cards on the business table.
Many in sales will talk about being transparent, unfortunately, the talk doesn't match the walk.
Let's face it, the sales community has a trust, respect and credibility issue.
YOU MUST BUILD TRUST
"The glue that holds business relationships together, that is trust, and this trust is purely based on integrity."
Brian Tracy
Building trust is an active and ongoing process, and if you ignore it, trust will decrease over time.
Just curious...
When is the last time you sat with one of your clients and asked them to describe what a trusted business relationship looks like?
Ipsos, a global market research firm, published their annual Global Trustworthiness Monitor, and asked respondents what were their top four drivers of trust in businesses.
In order...
- Keeps promises
- Open and transparent
- Behaves responsibly
- Good value for price
Folks, here comes the mirror moment... And this just might be a gut-check moment for many of you.
Are you keeping your promises, really?
Are you open and transparent, really?
Are you behaving responsibly, really?
Are you bringing meaningful value for the price, really?
I believe a heartfelt professional measures success not by the size of their commission check but on the impact they've made on their clients.
They love, cherish and deeply connect with their clients.
They are not afraid to be different, act different and think different.
Leading your life with integrity, transparency and honesty, you soon stand out as a beacon of hope.
Integrity in sales, is our highest and most valuable human commodity.
BUILD TRUST, BECOME A BEACON OF HOPE
"Be a guiding light, a safe harbor, a beacon of hope, and a solid foundation for those around you."
Jennifer Gayle
Merriam-Webster defines beacon as:
- a signal fire commonly on a hill, tower, or pole
- a lighthouse or other signal for guidance
- a radio transmitter emitting signals to guide aircraft
- a source of light or inspiration
Have you become a source of light and inspiration with your clients?
Are you engaging in conversation with them with honesty, transparency and integrity?
"Transparency is a suspicion eliminator."
Pastor Craig Groeschel
I believe you all have endless opportunities to become a beacon.
- You become a beacon every time you get through a challenging conversation with a client.
- You become a beacon every time you stretch yourself by speaking the truth.
- You become a beacon every time you take off the mask and allow yourself to be real.
Become that beacon of inspiration for your clients. Become that lighthouse and guide them towards business betterment.
When you can be straight with your clients, they will be straight with you.
Live your sales life with the BEACON acronym of:
B - Belief
E - Encouragement
A - Attitude
C - Compassion
O - Offer to help
N - Nourish
Becoming a beacon of hope means to embody the qualities and actions that inspire and uplift others, and this directly pertains to how you interact and carry yourself with your clients. It means becoming a symbol of optimism, encouragement, and resilience.
A beacon of hope is someone who brings people together and fosters a sense of connection, belonging and community. They create an environment where individuals can support and uplift one another.
A beacon of hope reduces suspicion, speculation and skepticism. Lack of transparency leads to speculation, rumors, and mistrust. Transparency diffuses suspicion while addressing concerns directly, all this leads to fostering an environment of trust and openness.
Imagine for a moment how this builds trust.
A beacon of hope leads by example. They demonstrate integrity, kindness, and authenticity in their words and actions. Their consistent behavior inspires others to follow suit and become beacons of hope themselves.
A beacon of hope is a strength builder, are you?
BEING TRANSPARENT IN YOUR COMMUNICATION BREEDS TRUST
In a post trust sales world, transparent communication is mission critical to your sales success.
Dennis Prager eloquently says,
"Goodness is about character... integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it's about how you treat other people."
Without all of this, there will be cracks in foundational layers of your client relationships.
I wholeheartedly believe that fear, ego, bravado and insecurity prevent many from leading a transparent sales life.
A few questions for you to ponder:
- Are you brave enough to be honest and truthful with everyone you meet?
- Are you brave enough to lead with your flaws?
- Are you brave enough to lead your sales life full of integrity?
It's about being sincere, open, and being a real human. It's about being authentic, showing respect and having concern for others.
No pretending, no BS, and no lies. Being transparent in sales is speaking the truth.
A huge shout out to my friend Todd Caponi, as he introduced me to this 1919 quote by Arthur Dunn, "If the truth won't sell it, then don't sell it."
You simply have a choice... You can put on a sales show and hope you don't get exposed as being an empty suit or you can embrace transparent, honest and integrity filled conversations. The decision is yours.
A sales professional skips the show and gives their clients what they crave... sincerity, substance, heart and complete transparency.
Mother Teresa famously said,
“Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.”
Do you feel you communicate in a transparent way with your clients?
Transparency requires courage.
Transparency is directly related to our relationship with accountability.
How trustworthy you perceive yourself will directly impact on how trustworthy you perceive others to be.
Do your clients perceive you as being trustworthy? If so, how would you know? Have you taken the time to ask them?
WHAT WILL YOU DO?
When it comes to transparency...
I believe if you struggle to see through your clutter then how can you help remove your client’s clutter?
I believe if you struggle to see yourself through the clear lens of reality then how can you help your clients envision a better business outcome?
I believe transparency is about self-awareness, authenticity, open communication and self-accountability.
The great U.S. President, Thomas Jefferson once said,
"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom."
Transparent, real, open and honest professionals connect at the heart level. They connect on a real, relatable and relevant level.
It's about having a willingness to learn and to become open to your client's ideas and input.
It's about intentional curiosity and becoming interested in your client interactions.
Imagine for a moment, if more salespeople ditched the empty sales rhetoric and simply brought honesty, integrity and transparency to their client communication, there wouldn't be as many empty suits.
“Transparency sells better than perfection.” In fact, “unexpected honesty and transparency shorten sales cycles dramatically.”
Todd Caponi
Huge announcement... A dream come true... Selling From the Heart has been picked up by a New York Publisher!
I had no idea when I self-published Selling from the Heart that all of this would happen. This is why I firmly believe authenticity wins in a world full of empty suits.
A huge thank you to David Han**** and the team Morgan James Book Publishing for believing in me.
The best is yet come!
Will you support me in bringing this message to the sales community?
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