"If you want to make it in life stop pretending to be someone else, just be who you are."
Albert Tshifulwe
Are you the real deal? Are you living the life of a sales pretender?
According to Merriam-Webster, pretending can defined as...
- To give a false appearance of being, possessing, or performing
- To make believe
- To claim, represent, or assert falsely
Often as kids growing up, playing make believe was fun, entertaining and playing dress up took us to places our minds could only imagine.
In today's highly informed business world, playing dress up in sales will only get you exposed as being an empty suit.
In a red ocean filled with sales sharks and empty suits, being genuine is a huge way to stand out. Being real, sincere, honest and not asserting yourself falsely will get you noticed immediately.
Let's just face reality for a moment, many can sniff out the B.S. conversely, many know when you're "leaning in" and bringing the business goods.
Being genuine is a rare quality. Today's world is full of sales phonies, social media hype and virtual fake sales personas.
Who they portray is not really who they are or are willing to admit too.
Sales chest puffing is running rampant inside the sales world.
Would you agree your clients and future clients will respond favorably and will continually come back to you, when they see you as being the consummate sales professional as opposed to a sales pretender?
Genuine sales professionals forge their own sales path and our not sales pretenders.
Sales professionals are not pretenders as they search for and discover their own unique way of pursuing their passions and purpose.
They forge an entirely new path to get to their desired destination.
It's about what they think and say that makes them who they are. It's what they do and how they view themselves within the sales world. They lead a congruent lifestyle.
A genuine sales professional is guided by an internal compass, meaning they don't follow the conventional or typical routes others take to achieve their goals.
They do not pretend to be someone they are not.
START WITH BEING REAL
"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."
Judy Garland
Let's all stop for a moment and reflect upon that quote.
Are you the first-rate version of yourself?
In a business world full of empty suits, being real and transparent is nonnegotiable. You see, without this one will be labeled a commodity.
Transparency and being real:
- Creates the foundational layers of trust
- Creates the basis for a strong positive relationship where you can build loyalty
Without loyalty, you're a commodity
Are you bringing the real version of yourself to your clients?
Being real is intentionally baring your soul by showing the true version of yourself.
Many in sales have lost their identity. This may be brought on out of fear of rejection, lack of self-confidence, a broken sales heart, lack of fulfillment or trying to be someone that they know they are not.
What do you think your clients crave?
Sales professionals know who they are. They refuse to masquerade around as someone they’re not. They let down their guard and their client's sense, see, and know it.
Being phony is no way to fill your sales funnel
Phoniness is a human characteristic that can be sensed from miles away.
So, when we’re looking to build your personal relationships, do you identify and relate to people who are honest, trustworthy and kind?
I believe you do, then I believe the same can be applied to your client relationships and interactions.
START WITH BEING TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE
“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”
Oscar Wilde
I would like for you to think for a moment...
Being true to yourself... means integrity, moral beliefs, personal values, honesty, sincerity, authenticity, living by what is and what is not acceptable to you, ethics, right and wrong, honor, no falsehood, truth... Now... how many of these words would people associate with the salespeople?
Therefore, those who absorb what it means to sell from the heart, live by a code of morals and values.
Being true to yourself is fundamental to living a life full of integrity.
How many in sales have let their clients down by simply not living up to their promises?
It's your duty to live up to your obligations and fulfill them, this becomes your character and your brand.
Stop pretending to be someone you are not just so you can fit into the so-called sales culture.
START EMBRACING VULNERABILITY
"Vulnerability is the birthplace of connection and the path to the feeling of worthiness. If it doesn't feel vulnerable, the sharing is probably not constructive."
Brené Brown
Vulnerability is the driving force of connection.
It’s about being brave and tender. It’s nearly impossible to connect without it. We live for it in our personal lives so what prevents us from doing this in our professional lives?
Why have we turned vulnerability into a sales weakness?
Why do we 'pretend' in order to make that sale, then only to revert back to what every other empty suit does really well... abandonment?
Without vulnerability relationships struggle. Without vulnerability how will your client relationships flourish?
Embrace vulnerability in your sales career.
It’s opening yourself up to get closer to your clients. It’s about giving without expectation or a hidden agenda. It's receiving with an open heart. This my sales friends is Selling from the Heart!
STOP PRETENDING AND START DOING
Become more comfortable with who you are and be yourself. Becoming more confident and exposing the real you to the business community is scary.
Pretending to be someone you’re not, well that is exhausting and a complete waste of all of the talents you have to offer.
E.E. Cummings best said it,
"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."
It is better to be yourself imperfectly, then it is to pretend to be something you are not perfectly.
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and heartfelt strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.
Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I believe you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback, kindle and in audio.
In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps become sales professionals. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market.
With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social and Selling from the Heart.
You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebookand on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
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