How To Connect To Your Authentic Self
Today it’s more important than ever to be our true authentic selves in our businesses. Most organizations aren’t just looking for anyone to do business with. They are looking for the right fit. When you attract these types of customers by being your authentic self, you are attracting dream customers. Dream customers have more loyalty. They tend not to be lowest-price hunters. And only doing business with someone who’s local isn’t everything. Instead, whom they do business with is less about money and more about sourcing an authentic connection.
For example, in my line of niche conservation filmmaking work, I attract conservation organization clients who want to work with a creative professional who
Filming with biologists / May 2024
knows the conservation landscape and specializes in conservation. They don’t want a wedding videographer or corporate videographer. Why? Well, there are a lot of ticks out there when doing field work! And the hiking in for some assignments can be tough! But seriously, it’s because having shared values matters. Most environmental organizations today want and seek out someone who walks the talk about conservation too. They want someone who already knows the stories and the subject matter before the person presses the camera shutter. Instead, when you source an authentically connected person, you end up with a true partner who is genuinely immersed in your project.
The worst comment you can hear from a customer is “Hey, your price is the lowest!” The best authentically rooted comment you can hear from a customer is “You share the same values that we have!”
Here are three ways to connect to your authentic self , in whatever business you are in:
Love What You Do And Show It
How does it begin? It starts with you loving what you do and resonating that loud and clear. I love my job! You don’t physically have to scream that. It will ooze out in everything you do, how you interact, how you walk the talk, what you post on social media, the impression you create when you work in the field. It’s an overall vibe. It’s not words on a marketing brochure. People will remember the authenticity of the experience of working with you, way more than what they read on a website or in an advertisement.
Know What Connects You To What You Do
Having shared values means you share common principles, ethics and work attitudes with the organizations and people you work for. You instantly know this because you have a feeling of camaraderie and a shared interest in the success of the organization. Business owners who enjoy this bond based on shared values develop a camaraderie and are far more likely to have loyalty with, and from the organization they work for. It’s a fact: Belief-driven decision making is a growing ethical B2B trend among organizations. Don’t worry about the organizations or leadership who don’t place a high value on shared values for B2B engagement. They are not your dream target customer.
Remember How You Got Where You Are
Where ever you are in your journey, remember how you got where you are today. You’ve had challenges. But most importantly, you have a foundation of values that has helped you. I’m not necessarily talking about what you did 10 years ago in a previous career, although it may be of value. I’m talking about your present journey. Know these stories of your journey. Write them down. Remember them. You’ll have a powerful answer next time someone asks you what do you do. Shared values offer something that’s exceptionally powerful. Values help you make a statement about your commitment to what you do and why. At the root, this is what screams authenticity. People who ooze this quality don’t come across singularly as money hungry for simply wanting to win the business of a client. They win the business of organizations because the commitment to shared values screams “This person is the right fit!
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