One of the major themes that we saw throughout all four days of Sales Mastery was the importance of authenticity in business. This concept is especially important as it is foundational to an excellent and ethical customer experience.
So, let’s discuss what the leaders on stage at Sales Mastery have to say about authenticity in business.
Only You Can Be You
Carla Harris, vice chairman, managing director, and senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley, took the Sales Mastery stage during the very first learning session. She set the expectations for the week high. Her speech focused on intentional leadership and building a culture of authenticity in business.
She says, “Nobody can be you like you can be you. Most people are not comfortable in their own skin, so if they see that in you, they will gravitate toward you.” So, dn’t be authentic to impress people–be authentic because it’s the right thing to do.
No matter what business you are in, authentic relationships are critical. “Your success depends on your ability to penetrate relationships,” Carla says, “The easiest way to penetrate relationships is to be yourself.”
This is an important concept, whether you’re a loan officer, real estate agent, or in an altogether different industry. No matter who your customers are, or what you’re selling, bringing your authentic self to the table will earn you both trust and respect.
Stop Selling
Yep, you read that right. Stop selling.
No, we’re not trying to make your business fail, and no, we’re not joking. Selling should not be your priority as a mortgage originator. Instead, your #1 focus should always be the customer and their needs.
After all, as Crystal Flores points out, “People will absolutely see straight through you when you’re trying to shove a mortgage down their throat.” Because of this, redefining how you think about your job as a loan officer is critical.
In this same way, Todd Duncan says, “People can see when it’s all about the money and if you’re only thinking about commission.”
Because of this, it’s important to focus on doing the right thing for your borrower. Even if this means giving up a commission, it will lead to better customer and partner relationships. After all, they will know that you have their best interests at heart.
Create Ambassadors, Not Customers
You shouldn’t aim to win over customers, you should try to create ambassadors. Todd Duncan says, “The faster you create emotional certainty with your borrower, the more likely it is that that borrower will become an ambassador of your brand.”
“Emotional certainty” can also be defined as trust, which is the foundation of any healthy relationship. Putting trust as your #1 priority will completely change how you do business. With a focus on trust, you might discourage a potential borrower from refinancing because of their finances. Or perhaps, you suggest a loan that will lead to a smaller commission for you. Trust isn’t all about taking losses in your business though. Instead, it’s about doing the right thing, whether you’ll make money off of it or not.
Your customers will notice this, and will become ambassadors instead of just clients. So, these ambassadors will sing your praises to anyone who will listen. And ultimately will earn you far more business than that single customer could have on their own.
You Don’t Need to Be Perfect
It may seem like a given, but the very definition of authenticity means that you don’t need to be perfect. Therefore, whether you’re implementing new business strategies, communicating with borrowers, or building partner relationships, striving for perfection will stall your progress.
Katelyn Huddelston shared, “You do not need to be perfect to build trust.” This should be freeing, and encourage you to just get started! Your customers will notice your pursuit of authenticity, and will respect you for it, even if you’re not doing it just right all the time.
Bottom Line
Authenticity in business can feel like a very open-ended concept. However, authenticity and building trust go hand in hand, because they are critical to deepening your relationships. Not only will your relationships be more meaningful, your business will be more sustainable. This is because you have earned ambassadors of your brand instead of just customers.
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