Serving from authenticity
Serving from a place of authenticity is putting the customer’s needs first and building a relationship based on trust and mutual respect rather than solely focusing on making the sale.
When you’re challenged and you feel like you need the sale, then it can be tricky to shift your mindset into one of service.
Here are 5 tips for serving from a place of authenticity:
Engage in active listening. Listen actively to your customers and ask questions to understand their needs and concerns. This will help you tailor your approach to their specific situation and build a relationship based on trust and understanding¹.
Do your best to manage expectations. Be honest and transparent with your customers. Don’t oversell or make promises you can’t keep. Instead, be upfront about the benefits and limitations of your product or service².
Invest in long-term relationships. Focus on building long-term relationships with your customers rather than just making a one-time sale. This means following up with them after the sale, providing excellent customer service, and continuing to provide value over time³.
Serve with empathy. Show empathy and understanding towards your customers. This means doing your best to put yourself in their shoes and acknowledging their feelings and concerns and creating a good customer experience. Think about how many times you’ve been challenged/frustrated by customer service where they either haven’t acknowledged your concerns, ignored your perspective, or made judgements that were simply not true. Acknowledging your customers can help build a stronger connection and trust between you and your customer⁴.
Be yourself. Let your personality shine through and give yourself permission (and courage) to trust yourself more in building relationships. Authenticity means being true to yourself and your values, which can help build trust and rapport with your customers⁵.
By serving from a place of authenticity, you can build stronger relationships with your customers, increase customer loyalty, and ultimately drive more sales in the long term.
Sources:
Hubspot. “7 Ways to Sell More by Selling Less.” https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/sell-more-by-selling-less.
Forbes. “The Importance of Authenticity in Sales.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2018/08/07/the-importance-of-authenticity-in-sales/?sh=2d8d8c8e4b8e.
Entrepreneur. “5 Tips for Selling With Authenticity and Integrity.” https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246894.
Salesforce. “4 Tips for Building Authentic Sales Relationships.” https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2017/01/4-tips-for-building-authentic-sales-relationships.html.
Inc. “The 5 Keys to Authentic Sales.” https://www.inc.com/john-white/the-5-keys-to-authentic-sales.html.
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