Be Authentic: “Only you can be you.”
We are all created UNIQUE.
Research shows that the average person has between 500 to 700 different skills and abilities – WOW!!
And no one else on earth can use these skills and abilities, in their combination, like you can.
DNA molecules can unite in an infinite number of ways – 10 to the 2,400,000,000 power. That’s 10 with 2 billion zeros after it!!!!
There never has been and never will be another YOU.
The secret to successful marketing is to uncover what makes you and your business Unique (your USP – Unique Selling Proposition) and then Tell your story to the world and tell it often.
Every woodworker knows that the most effective and efficient way to work with wood is to work with the grain rather than against it.
It’s the equivalent of “working smarter, rather than harder.”
The expression “Sawing against the grain” means working against oneself; not getting the most out of the effort you put into something.
If you “cut against the grain” the resulting board is not as strong as one that was cut with the grain.
In the same way, when you act in a manner that is “against the grain” of who you are, or not authentic, it creates negative tension. It requires you to expend more effort and energy which in turn produces less than the BEST results possible FOR YOU!!
When you act, speak or write consistent with the way you were Created, in other words – authentic; you experience fulfillment, satisfaction, and the Best Results possible.
Being authentic means “Doing all the Right Things Right all the Time.”
This by the way was Vince Lombardi’s definition of a Winner!
What are the Rewards of being Authentic?
The quality of your life improves
“Doing (and saying) the right thing for the right reason in the right way is the key to the quality of life, and that can only come through the power of an educated conscience that aligns us with vision, mission, and true north.” – Stephen Covey
It puts you in control of the situation rather than the situation controlling you.
“The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy will be put to forced labor.” – Proverbs 12:24
“People can get many good things by the words they say…;
– Proverbs 12:14
“The deceitful walk a thorny, treacherous path; whoever values life will stay away.” – Proverbs 22:5
“In the end, people appreciate frankness rather than flattery.”– Proverbs 28:3
You get the respect, admiration and trust of those in your Circle of Influence.
Being authentic is being honest. It’s being real. It’s being courageous.
It’s human nature to follow the “path of least resistance”; To just “go with the flow”. To always look for the easy way; To avoid conflict by telling people what they want to hear rather than the truth.
This is true in marketing as well.
We have come to accept that most ads are exaggerating the benefits and minimize the risks to prospective clients.
Heck, as a society, we have come to accept and condone lying at the highest levels of our government leadership. Look at Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky affair and the gyrations around the truth and the public thought nothing about it.
What we learned as a society was that a person can lie and cheat and lack moral character – and yet not forfeit his political career.
We see broken promises (lies) every day at the highest level of our leadership and the majority of people accept it as “normal”.
But…to be a 3% er, you have zig when others are zagging.
A Leader is TRUSTWORTHY.
Trust = Competence plus Character/demonstrated over time.
Since that is not “normal”, can you only imagine what rewards awaits a trustworthy person?
When I was selling cars for a living, I always understated rather than overstated benefits.
I later created a Rule for myself and my employees of UnderPromise/OverDeliver.
When we followed this Rule, it was easy to Honor every Commitment we made. Which created trust.
The worst kind of deceit is self-deceit. It is impossible to be authentic while at the same time practicing self-deceit.
We cannot be one person in our private life and someone different in our public (business) life.
Why is it so easy to lie?
Everyone of us is guilty of dishonesty at one time or another.
We lie to promote ourselves, to protect ourselves or to manipulate others.
Deceit comes in a number of different categories but can be summed up in two distinct forms:
- Distortion of the truth
- Outright hiding of the truth
There are always consequences to deceit.
Deceit causes never-ending stress in your life.
Having to constantly think about the lies and when you told them forces you to constantly think about them so that you don’t get caught saying something contradictory that would expose those lies.
Sooner or later, all lies are found out, and when that happens, your Circle of Influence diminishes, and the quality of friends and customers diminishes with it.
It’s the Birds of a feather syndrome.
Being Authentic is an easier way to live and conduct business and the rewards are higher because there are fewer people at the top to have share them with.