This above all: To Thy Own Self Be True - Hamlet, Shakespeare

Everywhere I turn I am hearing the word “Authentic”.  I was speaking to someone the other day and we got talking about what does authenticity in business look like.  It got me thinking.  We have entered a time when the consumer is more educated and more likely to share their experiences with strangers via social media.  Nobody wants to see a tweet or a posting of any kind saying that they or their company is less than authentic. We are becoming more apparent every day.  We are all striving to create a brand that says we are the “Real Deal – Do Business with Us”.

So how do we avoid the automatic “I don’t trust advertising” knee jerk reaction of the typical consumer?  How do we create an “Authentic” brand?  I think the best way to approach this in business is the same way we approach it in our every day lives.

Start with being Honest.  We are living in very transparent times.  Your customer has more choice and more information than ever before.  So stop trying to trick them into doing business with you.  Loose the gimmicks and angles.  Most people can see through them anyways.  Remember the Used Car Salesman?

Determine what your “Customer Promise” is and promote it.   If it is bona fide; then they will come.  If it isn’t you will know sooner and you can make the modifications to get it right.  If your customer feels that you misrepresented yourself or your product, you will lose their trust and that is what they will share within their network.  Remember the “they will tell 10 people about something they are dissatisfied about” paradigm?  Well that just changed with social media to about 100.

Don’t forget to be Human.  We all make mistakes.  It isn’t the mistake that makes the biggest impact; it is what the person does two seconds after the mistake.  You need to own it by apologizing and immediately do whatever you can to rectify it.  This will send the message loud and clear; “You can trust me and I respect you”. 

On the other side of this be quick to forgive.  If someone makes an error and owns it you shouldn’t need to beat them over the head with it.  If the slip-up is one that has been ongoing then you should take a look at the root cause; deal with it and then move on.  If it is an employee then either step up the training or replace them.  If it is a misunderstanding with a supplier maybe you need to pay more to get a better service or a better supplier.  Whatever the root cause is deal with that instead of harping on the mistake itself.

Always be “Clear”.  Don’t muddy the water.  Make sure you understand and promote the “Why and What” of your offering (i.e. your “Customer Promise”).  This is the only way you will be in sync with your real intentions.  Once you are in sync you are very clear about what you are willing to commit to.  Your commitment will define your actions.  You can’t tell the customer that you will go the extra mile and focus on quality to secure their business.  And then turn around and use the cheapest materials or the least expensive labor you can find.  When you are clear you are in alignment with your “Customer Promise”.  This alignment translates into greater sales.

One of my favorite business blogs is Seth’s Godin’s Blog.  He did a great short piece last year on authenticy.  You should read it.

So in summary, Be Honest, Be Human, Be Clear and you will be well on your way to achieving authenticity.   Businesses that find their own genuine voice will be the businesses that succeed.

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