From the course: Prepare Yourself for a Career in Sales
Be authentic
- When we first become salespeople, we'll sometimes get advice from others saying that we need to be more outgoing, more aggressive or extroverted, and so on and so forth. Some may say that we need to have the personality of a salesperson. Well, what does that mean? I'm here to tell you no. No, you don't need to change your style or your personality. What you need to be is yourself. Be real, be authentic, because that's who you are. We can all improve our qualities and skills, but deep down, we really can't change who we are without risking being a phony. For me, being authentic boils down to three things, vulnerability, character, and transparency. Being authentic is just being who you are and not trying to change yourself based on who you're with or who you may be meeting. It's showing your positive skills, while at the same time not being afraid of letting others see some of your vulnerabilities or areas where you may need to improve. All of this closely ties into your character, which is what I feel is the genuine substance of an individual. Our character is how people perceive us, trust us, and want to work with us or be around us. There are many great quotes about character, but one of my favorites is from John Wooden who said, "Your character is what you really are, "while your reputation is merely what others think you are." He then added, "The true test of a person's character "is what they do when no one is watching." People who are authentic and real are admired for being transparent. Colleagues, peers, and customers don't have to worry about trying to figure out what open and authentic people are really saying. They are respected and trusted to be honest and often described as what you see is what you get. Isn't that much better than being a salesperson where people don't have any clue who they're dealing with and question what you're really saying? As salespeople, we need to be transparent and real. If we're known to be someone who is hard to figure out or people aren't sure if we're embellishing a statement or not, then we run the risk of not being approachable, or worse yet, not trusted. Keep things simple, just be yourself, and be true to your character. You'll find that others will respect you, admire you, and when you move into leadership positions, they will follow you.
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