Being the Real You

Selling is all about connecting – because connecting with those who become your customers is the only way you can get that trust you need to make the sale.

Salespeople who are seen as authentic tend to be more successful at connecting than those who hide behind a mask or facade. They inspire their customers, build relationships and customers trust them. But what does “authentic” really mean? Let’s explore this often-misunderstood area of sales and look at how to balance personality with professionalism.

DO YOU WEAR A MASK? Have you ever felt that there’s a part of your personality that you keep to yourself? That, for one reason or another, you don’t reveal to other people as much as sometimes you’d love to let it loose? Perhaps it’s out of fear of judgement. Or it could even be down to the ideals that society has projected onto you about how you should behave. This part of your personality that’s hiding within is your “authentic self”.

Many of us adopt a more professional persona in the workplace, behaving differently from how we would at home. During our careers we are told to behave “professionally”, but does it mean that we become someone else at work – the imposter? The imposter syndrome has derived from our feeling that we need to conform to a pattern of behaviour that fits in with the organisational culture. This often means that we are behaving inauthentically at work, only to revert to our true self with friends and family.

THE NEED FOR AUTHENTICITY Today, customers are demanding more authentic sales personnel. They want to build rapport

with salespeople who are genuine and not scared to reveal their more sensitive human side.

How authentic you can be very much depends on the organisation and people you work with. So, the extent to which you reveal yourself needs to be carefully considered as you can potentially damage your reputation and credibility. For example, in organisations where there is a hard sell culture, and the sales personnel are expected to be ruthless to achieve sales, then revealing your weaknesses can be career limiting.

Taking the need to be authentic too far can prove dangerous for some. Where they often go wrong is making the mistake of bringing their “raw authenticity” to work. Letting raw emotions come through depending on how they feel at any given time, such as ranting and raging one minute, happy or grumpy the next, can be dangerous. Being too honest and “telling it as it is” can lead to the customer feeling attacked or vulnerable. Using intimidating tactics to win a sale can leave the customer feeling forced into buying from you leading to resentment. The effect is that you are likely to lose repeat business.

Authenticity is an emotional rather than rational response and we all know that emotion is the driving force behind sales decisions. You could have the best product on the market but if you are not able to connect with your customer it is likely that the customer will walk away. But if you make them feel valued, and their core values are met, they are far more likely to buy from you.

Emotionally intelligent people are careful about the emotions they put on display and keep emotions that can elicit a negative response from others – such as anger – under wraps. It also means they are able to understand themselves as well as the impact they have on others.

Furthermore, as a rule, authentic people tend to be genuine, transparent and trustworthy, display a strong moral code and can be counted on to keep their word. This is extremely important for sales personnel.

Those who can display their human side are more likely to win hearts and minds than those who are aloof and don’t relax their guard. But it’s important to be consistent, or your actions will be viewed with suspicion. You need to be aware of how you come across to others. When I left my job in HR to become a coach years ago, I realised that the skills required to be trusted by people are the same skills that make me a great coach as I am able to build rapport and trust.

Authentic people are aware of what drives and motivates them, are reasonably comfortable with their feelings, and acknowledge that they too have flaws and are prepared to work on them.

Here are seven key observations and guidelines on maintaining authenticity in sales: 1. Customers can feel when you’re genuine. Customers can tell when you are truly interested in the product or service you are selling. 2. You won’t seem like a salesperson People don’t particularly like salespeople. If you are being yourself, instead of being a sales machine, you are going to seem like an interested party who wants to help the customer, not like a salesperson who is “If you want to be an authentic and looking for commission. successful salesperson, you must put in some hard work to find out more about yourself” 3. You can’t fail No salesperson will close every sale. It’s impossible. But when you’re being yourself, you’re not going to fail – you’re always going to succeed at being you. The more sales experience you gain, the easier it will be to get conversions without losing yourself in the process. 4. Don’t try to please everyone Trying to please everyone is an impossible task, as no matter what you do or say there will always be someone out there who will judge you. 5. Acknowledge your own – and your product’s – limitations To sell authentically, start by acknowledging your limitations as a salesperson. You need to sell the benefits of your offering, but also be willing to share its limitations. 6. Be truthful Admitting when you don’t have all the answers can feel counterintuitive – after all, you spend so much time perfecting your sales pitch to highlight your product’s strengths. Like everyone else, buyers appreciate authenticity – your self-awareness makes you human and credible. 7. Be willing to admit mistakes and change Acknowledge your imperfections and share uncomfortable truths about yourself with others.

ANDRÉE FUNNELL is a multiaward-winning, professionally qualified coach, NLP practitioner and trainer. She is owner and director of learning and development consultancy Aspiring Future Competence, and author of Behind the Mask (behind-the-mask-book.com) available on Amazon. For details, call +44 (0)7702 818665 or visit afcconsultants.co.uk GETTING STARTED If you want to be an authentic and successful salesperson, you must put in some hard work to find out more about yourself – who you are, what you are about – and increase your level of emotional intelligence.

So how do you develop such self-awareness? Engaging a professional coach is one way, but ensure you engage one who understands and empathises with what you are trying to achieve. My book, Behind the Mask, seeks to help salespeople, offering a life-changing impact on the way you think and act. It’s easy to read and follow, and will help you discover your true self, the mask you wear and why you wear it. It is full of practical advice and techniques that will help you overcome the walls you’ve built through your life that limit both your potential success and your happiness.