Are you noticing a change in the way people are responding to “sales pitches” lately?

They just aren’t saying YES to high pressure closing techniques and sales formulas the way they did back in the boom times of 2004-2007 – THANK HEAVENS!

I don’t know about you, but I am personally both happy and relieved to know that business success no longer hinges on whether or not you know the “take-away close” or other artificial-feeling techniques. Now, we are getting back to the fundamentals of Client Enrollment, and the most important element in today’s sales environment is …

Authenticity

Here’s what I mean:
Your prospects want to know the answers to a series of questions that have nothing to do with Sales Techniques. They want to find out if you are “For Real” … this is a full-on Authenticity Check.

You must be prepared to answer the following:

– Do you “get me”? Do you understand what I am experiencing and what it feels like?
– Have you been in a similar situation yourself? Tell me about it.
– How would it benefit me to work with you?
– Why do you care about people like me? Where is your passion?

And your prospective clients are not looking for formulaic answers … they want the honest truth.

Answering questions like this can sting. Try it for yourself.

Imagine a prospect is sitting in front of you right now asking these questions. What would you say … and even more important, how would it feel to have to dig down and come up with an answer?

Can you actually answer these questions about Your Business from a place of Authenticity?

If your answer is “Yes” – congratulations, and here is my advice: Don’t stop to wonder if you need sales training or some magic closing technique to grow your business – just get out there and tell the truth!

Be authentic, connect with your prospects, and let them know you ARE “For Real.” Address their needs, fears, and desires, and communicate exactly what’s in it for them to hire you.

If you have to work hard to answer the questions … wordsmithing to get something that will make sense or even completely making something up … then you are failing the Authenticity Check. This does not mean you are a bad person – an Impostor or Charlatan. It DOES mean you can’t rely on Authenticity to Enroll Prospects. You will have to make some adjustments.

There are several choices available to you.

1) Find Authenticity in your Current Work:
You can look within yourself to see if Authentic Answers to the questions above actually exist in your current business – and start using them. Do a little soul searching to discover if you really can be Authentic with your people.

2) Shift Your Work to find Authenticity:
If that is not possible in your current line of work, you can change your business focus to one where you can speak to Prospects from a place of true Authenticity. This is the business equivalent of a Midlife Crisis: You change what you are doing so that it aligns with what you love and are passionate about.

3) Pretend to be Authentic:
Another option is to make up stuff to say so that you appear Authentic when the questions come your way, and hope they don’t smell you out.
I strongly recommend the first two choices.

Your prospects will most assuredly sniff you out as a “say-anything-to-get-a-sale” person if you pretend. And THAT kind of mixed message is not good for either your business or your soul.

The joy comes when you actually CAN be Authentic about what you do and why you do it. You will create business relationships more quickly, and they will last longer and be more productive than any sales technique could ever produce.

Which brings us to the bottom line:
– How Authentic are you in your business?
– Where do you feel “inauthentic” in your business, and why?
– How can you make some changes this week to be even more Authentic in all your dealings with clients and prospects?

When you learn to consistently relate to your prospects from a place of Authenticity, you’ll naturally experience a difference in your bottom line.

You’ll attract more Ideal Clients and you’ll sell more … not because you’re trying harder or learning manipulative techniques, but because you’ll be showing up as the Authentic Answer your Prospects have been looking for.

Author Bio: Dike Drummond MD helps you get clients without having to do any \”Selling\”. Get your 30 page free report, \”3 Pillars of Authentic Marketing and the G.A.S.P. Formula\” at his website Business-Development-Videos.com. CLICK THE LINK NOW to get your FREE REPORT.

Category: Business
Keywords: small business marketing,marketing tip,marketing tool,authentic marketing,sales and marketing