The One Thing You Cannot Fake…

The One Thing You Cannot Fake…

The One Thing You Cannot Fake…..

is being authentic.

Be yourself, everyone else is taken. Further to my post on the different kinds of coaches, getting you to be a Maxi-You is key to your sustained and sustainable success.

When I was an executive search partner, aka headhunter, wUltimate Headhunter?e did intensive two person interviews lasting up to two hours. After 45 minutes, you could see the ‘interview face’ fading away as most people could not maintain that facade.

That’s when the real person came out and we were able to see if they truly were suited for the position that our clients paid us the big bucks for. It was no longer about their qualifications but how they would fit into the organization as a person, what their people skills were. Their emotional intelligence (EQ) was more important than their IQ.

Seriously, MBAs are a dime a dozen now. Think carefully before investing in that degree (and read this brilliant article by my favourite writer). Now it’s all about how you fit into their corporate culture.

As an entrepreneur, you can extrapolate that way of thinking to see how you might match as client and supplier. There has to be a match in order for this to be more than a one-sale stand (like a one night stand). Most businesses want repeat clients AND referrals, as word-of-mouth is the most powerful form of promotion that you cannot buy. You can influence and help promote word-of-mouth through referral campaigns, but in the end it’s up to the client to pass on your name and number and speak highly of you.

As an entrepreneur, you might be tempted to imitate someone else whose success you want to emulate. WRONG! You cannot be anyone but yourself. People will see through you if you’re not being true to your authentic self.

Entrepreneurs–there is NO Secret Sauce!

All those people who promise you their secret formula, secret sauce or their proven process of how they got rich–that may have worked for them and maybe for a small percentage of others, but chances are it won’t work for you. I’m finding many unhappy and not so successful customers who have fallen prey to those kinds of promoters. What works for one person does not necessarily translate to success for others because they are not being their authentic selves. You can’t fake it, as people will sense that something is not right and run away from you.

How can you cookie cutter an approach to business when the main purpose of having your own business is to stand out? You need to be different; be unique. That means having a unique value proposition–a fancy term for why people should buy your stuff.

I remember telling my younger sister that she couldn’t emulate me, as there some things that only I could get away with. She had to develop her own sassy style that worked for her and not try to be me.

Having your own business is not easy and the first year is the toughest. That’s when you have to zig, zag, pivot, retreat, push forward and somehow get through it. I’ve started 10 businesses in the past 20+ years and the first year in all of them has always been the same. You have to figure out how to market, have your sales spiel ready, create a website, social media profiles, blog posts… sell stuff and get more clients. I know I’m ahead in my second year in this business as I’m making money and getting referrals and more clients.

The way to see if you and I can work together is to have a no-obligation coaching call. Contact me at 416-951-3842  Patti@SmallBizSalesCoach.ca – you’ll be happy you did and you’ll make your banker happy too!

Have fun and make money is my motto and

if you’re not having fun, then who cares about the money!

 

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