When one considers that the world has become almost entirely transparent and there are few secrets that can be kept, then one begins to understand that openness and trust are skills that are vital to success. The days of the “duck and dive” seller are beyond decline. And of course, with the 24/7 nature of modern comms, with 100 sales emails per day and little time to reflect – the decision makers want to work with those that are genuine and can deliver on their promise. This is the age of Trust
Given this backdrop, it is important to understand how we communicate to customers and clients. Are we trusted? Are we believable?
It all sounds so simple but of course isn’t. Many people struggle to be natural at work. Many have a defensive façade and some are so caught up in their own “persona” that they struggle to connect with others. It does often need coaching and mentoring and takes time. It can be about building inner confidence in being yourself. And even some of the most successful have spent their entire careers trying to be someone else.
The difference today is that there is nowhere to hide. People are on show 24/7 and any mask will slip. Look at the example of the BP CEO – Tony Hayward – who was pillared and lost his job over the New Orleans oil spill after a couple of thoughtless comments and being caught sailing with his son at 6am on a Saturday morning. He came across as not being genuine and showing due care.
It is interesting how life has changed over the years. One of the best examples to illustrate this was Sir Alf Ramsay, the most successful manager of the England football team. Ramsay was born in Dagenham and played at the highest levels for Tottenham and Southampton. However to be successful in management, he tool elocution lessons and as manager of England, spoke with someone from the Stockbroker belt rather than East London.
Today, we celebrate differences and love accents. What matters is that one’s background but how one behaves and if one acts in way that can is believable.
However, we need to remember that being individuals and coming from different backgrounds means that we all approach it in various ways. And as much as blending our true personality with business is challenging, it will not only improve your business by elevating it above the competition but also will encourage engagement and may turn your audience into advocates.
Yet, the relationships we create are only going to last if we sincerely care about them. And this is not about background but values and ethics. According to the latest research, it makes evolutionary sense that people show expressions that they don’t always feel, and hide expressions that they do feel. Humans cooperate mostly in order to encourage others to contribute to the relationship with them. But to fake genuine interest in business and clients is the path you should avoid- your client will see straight through you.
It may sound obvious but one of the criticisms of sales people is that they do not listen. Sadly, we often do not even bother to discover anything substantial about our clients as people, forgetting that if we fail to engage with them in a real, personal way, we are just another merchant- and they are easily replaceable. If you ask real questions, honestly care about the answer, you will be able to create a real human connection in the process.
The value of honesty and truthfulness, also indicates pushing back on decisions that don’t make sense, providing perspective that can develop our products and always using the personal high bar to ensure we are doing our best for our clients. Throughout our career we are often faced with opportunities to cut corners, but in the end authenticity is what will propel us forward.
So, in all things- be yourself, and you will get more respect than if you tried to be someone you weren’t.
This is the age of Trust
