The Importance of Being Genuine

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The Importance of Being Genuine

Learn to be quiet enough to hear the genuine within yourself so that you can hear it in others.        -  Marian Wright Edelman

You need to believe in yourself and what you do. Be tenacious and genuine.
Christian Louboutin

Deep down, no one wants to come across as being fake. At least that has been by experience as a sales professional. But what does it mean to be truly genuine ? I found in my research for this blog, it was easier to start with what being genuine is NOT. Bear with me as this is sort of like a verbal parallel parking, where we pull up next to the car in front, before we start backing up and cutting the wheels. The word that surfaced as an antithesis to genuine was “ spurious”. Not a common word that gets bantered around the office at the water cooler, but a poignant one none- the -less. According to the Noah Webster 1828 dictionary, “Spurious” means, “ Not genuine; not proceeding from the true source ; or from the source pretended ; counterfeit ; false…” Let’s cut the wheels back into the parking space now. So we can conclude with Noah’s assistance , that to be genuine is to be true, real , and not a pretender. No B.S.. No pretense . Just the real deal. They tell it like it is, and don't just say what others may want to hear. Do you know any people like that ? I know a good number of individuals both in and out of the business world that express these qualities, and they are always refreshing to spend time with. With a genuine person, what you see is what you get.

Here's an interesting thing that I have observed - you can’t fake being genuine. One can try to be sincere, but at the end of the day, everyone’s true colors show - especially during times of intense stress and pressure - and what’s really on the inside of us will flow out of us. Shakespeare once wrote, “ To thine own self, be true.” Easier said than done, but important to do, because if we cannot be true with ourselves, then how can we be true with our clients, teammates or family ? I don't mean to wax philosophical here, but I am tackling the proverbial bull by the horns that states we must say or do anything to get the sale. And that my friends is spurious behavior and manipulative at best. If we represent a good company with a good product or service that solves real problems for our clients, then we can walk in truth. We can hold our heads high, knowing that have not slimed anyone.

Keep in mind that being genuine is not synonymous with being passive . Of course we have to ask the questions, and ask for the business ; because the stats say that 80% of sales people never ask !  The key is knowing WHEN to ask. Timing is everything, isn’t it ? Asking a first date how many children they would like to pop out, and what names they have selected for said bambinos just might be a little EARLY within that critical path of relationship building. It might be the death of it before it even begins. We earn the right to ask that closing question, after we have determined our client’s needs, and thoroughly covered how our product or service could potentially meet those needs. Then we ask, shut up, and wait for a response.

People don't care how much we know until they know how much we care. Do we emote this attitude to our prospects and clients ,or even our teammates ? If we do, this is genuineness. This is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. No one wants to feel used - our clients included. Everyone wants to feel appreciated and valued - our clients and even sales people included. We set the pace by being real, being honest, and taking ownership as individuals or as a company when we drop the ball or fall short of the mark. Every time we are real and upfront with our clients, the chain of trust is forged ; and from that trust flows a win/win relationship. I’ve only observed a handful of spurious salespeople during my career ; but I’ve known and been enriched by many genuine ones. Choose to be genuine. Be honest. Be real. It is important, not only to your business, but to the next generation that is watching us oh so closely to see how it's done.

The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made. - Groucho Marx



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