The Value of Authenticity in the Sales Process

Bob is a salesman who regularly exercises a behavior that could be seen as devious: “tell the customer what they want to hear.” Bob routinely makes promises to customers he knows he can’t keep. He exaggerates performance claims and glosses over details to make a customer more inclined to buy. When he’s caught up in one of his misstatements or lies, Bob squirms out of it by claiming he had received “bad information” or “that’s what I was told.” This pattern of behavior has led to more and more of Bob’s customers not trusting what he tells them. They can’t help but doubt his credibility and authenticity.

Jeff has built his sales career upon a foundation of truth and authenticity. He never misrepresents his product line by quoting performance metrics or other information that can’t be verified. He also never over-promises on performance the customer can expect from use of his company’s products. Jeff is so committed to authenticity that if his product is not the best fit for a customer, Jeff will say so even if it means losing the sale. Because of his authenticity and transparency, Jeff has built a large and loyal base of customers who trust Jeff time and again with their repeat business.

Here we see two examples of sales methods that are diametrically opposed. Bob sacrifices his reputation and ethics for the sake of making the quick sale, confident that he can always talk his way out of it if things get a little dicey. Jeff, on the other hand, places his reputation and integrity above all else, confident that serving customers in this way is the best long-term strategy for his success.

The difference between these two salespeople comes down to authenticity. When Bob talks, he comes across as less than authentic, a trait that customers eventually pick up on. When Jeff talks, his integrity and authenticity shine through.

Authenticity plays a large role in how emotionally intelligent sales professionals conduct themselves in every phase of the sales process. Let’s see why that’s so.

Being Authentic

Simply put, being “authentic” means staying true to who you are, what you do, and who you serve. Authenticity works because it creates trust with your prospects and customers and supports your reputation.

Authenticity means you’re true to your own.

personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure you’re under to close sales and reach quotas. You’re honest with yourself and with others, and you take responsibility for your mistakes. At its essence, authenticity means your values, ideals and actions align.

Authenticity inspires loyalty and engagement. People are drawn to those who express self-confidence, passion, and trustworthiness. When you’re being your whole, true self, you project a level of sincerity that inspires your colleagues to work closely with you and encourages your customers to buy from you without reservation.

Core Elements

As with other aspects of emotional intelligence, we want to highlight two core elements of authenticity:

Facilitating challenging conversations effectively.
Honoring commitments and keeping promises.

The era of the passive sales prospect is largely over. Empowered by the Internet, customers have virtually unlimited access to information and reviews about your products and your competitors’ products. Since prospects are often highly informed, they’re more likely to ask tough questions and challenge you on the merits of your product or firm.

How you respond is a strong indicator of your “authenticity index.” A defensive or combative response will damage your credibility and raise red flags. However, a sincere, authentic approach that sticks to the facts and doesn’t gloss over areas for improvement will boost your credibility and can actually work to advance the sale, even if your competitor’s offering might have some features you don’t. People need to feel comfortable in order to buy, and authenticity generates comfort far more than exaggerated product claims or cut-rate prices.

Honoring your commitments and keeping your promises are fundamental to your standard of authenticity. As simple as that sounds, there are still salespeople who will make any sort of promise or claim in hopes of getting a contract signed, especially at certain times of the year.

The correct strategy is simple enough: if you can’t follow through, don’t promise it. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. It’s not just a question of personal integrity, but laying a foundation of authenticity and reliability that elevates you above your less than sincere competition.

Your Authenticity Checklist

Here’s a sensible checklist of conduct and practices you can use to develop and enhance your reputation and professional authenticity:

Only make promises you’re sure you can keep
Define your goals and your mission
Develop a purpose behind what you do beyond just making money
Share your mission and passion with enthusiasm
Maintain your core identity at all times
Always be consistent and avoid giving mixed messages
Champion a cause to show your charitable nature
Get to know your audience and their desires and needs
Actively engage with your audience through social media and show up as the real you
Show your unique personality through any content you create including blog posts, videos, and podcasts
Always be available to offer assistance and support to customers and prospects
Give away something of value: business advice and tips, insider “secrets” (when appropriate), an online tool, a book or special report. These items represent something tangible that demonstrates your generosity and altruism. Use these items to show you sincerely want to help people out.

Put these points into practice now to build your authenticity, rise above the competition and take your sales business to new heights.

If you gained much from this post, we invite you to register for our online sales course. If you want to do more than imagine how heightened authenticity can positively impact your sales and take action with help, then consider working with us 1on1 or request a class for your team.

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