How To Be Your True Authentic Self In Business To Establish Authority And Attract Your Audience
If you are in business, then the importance of knowing how to be your true authentic self is crucial so that you can claim authoritative status and attract the right audience.
You are a business owner, but you are also a consumer so for one moment I want you to don your consumer hat. You will have preferences on where you spend your money so maybe you should consider those preferences.
Your decisions will be made upon many factors such as quality, value for money and what impact a product has upon you. Also, there is one other factor to consider and that is the brand or the person you ultimately make that transaction with. Behind each brand or person there is a story and something that you related to.
That story is the bedrock which that business sits upon because it is based upon fact. A long family history or the toils and obstacles that someone has had to overcome maybe the attraction. Or it could be the mission of the business and the purpose of why it is there in the first place. Whatever your reason is it can be summed up in just one word and that is “authenticity”.
When we see that a business or person is being truly authentic it gives us a sense of confidence. No one likes to be ripped of both in monetary terms and the quality of the product. We can all see a scam artist coming a mile off but the same can be said for those authentic business owners.
Now with your business hat you must know how to be your true authentic self so that people are attracted to you. That all starts with sharing your story to create that connection with your audience. Where do you start?
How To Be Your True Authentic Self & Deliver Your Message
What you must realise is that you have everything already inside of you and it’s just a matter of bringing it to light. I have established that your story is the key to everything. It is a snapshot of all your success, failures and adversities that you have had to overcome.
Now you may be wondering why this is so important for your business. Your potential leads and customers are real people and a small percentage of them will connect with you. You only need that small percentage because they are the ones who are going to relate to you. They will become hooked upon your story and want to know more about you which makes it your powerful marketing and branding material.
So, what do you think authenticity is? Take some time looking at the graphic below which I have created and write down what you think describes authenticity. Here are some examples of what some of my Build Your AU mastermind members interpretation of authenticity is.
- Real
- Raw
- Vulnerable
- Open
- Soul
- Connecting From The Heart (creates instant connection)
- Stepping Out Of Comfort Zone
- Recognising Strengths & Weaknesses
While you are going through the graphic make some notes on all the sub sections. By doing this you will be creating the foundation for your own story, something that is totally unique to you. Don’t be afraid to go deep because it will throw up threads that you can utilize later when it comes to attracting your audience.
Your Authenticity Is Like An Onion!
By the end of this process your sheet should have the resemblance of an onion! Now before you think I have lost my mind the analogy is very simple. As we all know an onion is made up of many layers which can be peeled back to reveal its core. This is your chance to strip back all the layers that make up who you are so you too can reach your inner core.
Each section is important, but I want to focus for a moment on the last one which is your purpose. Purpose and people should always come before profit which I learnt in one of my businesses. An associate of mine was way too focused on the profit and wanted to rush through to where the money was.
For a while I followed this direction until it dawned on me it was the wrong approach. Needless to say, we went our separate ways and I focused on my purpose and the people I wanted to serve. The biproduct of that was that the profits flowed more because it wasn’t my main focus!
Authority Can Come In Many Levels
Again, I want you to sit down and think about what you think authority is as this is what you will need to establish. Look at the graphic above and think about what your “VP’S” are as I feel they cover this wide subject.
Again, I asked some of my members and the general census was authority could be based on skills both practical and what you have inside. Other qualities such as leadership and having the ability to influence others would be authoritative.
Communication skills was also high on the list but that is such a broad subject because it is again like an onion. There are many levels or layers of communication and you will share your message at a certain level. You may have come across people in authority but didn’t make an impact on you. This may be because you could not relate to them and how they came across due to their communication skills.
Another example which came up in the group was motherhood. One of our members was a mother of five so her level of authority would be much higher than a mother of one. It didn’t make her a better mother, but she had more authority because of the experiences that she had gone through.
As you see this subject is very complex and can be debated for hours but I want you to concentrate on you. What authority do you have and how can you leverage that within your business to attract customers?
Attracting A Loyal Tribe
The bottom line for business is that you need a loyal customer base or tribe as I like to refer to. These are the people who are going to put money in your bank account and provide you with the lifestyle you want.
I always have a strong economic mindset and I like my businesses to have a healthy cashflow. I can then invest in assets that then continue to generate revenue for me passively.
What I have come to understand over the years is that you must be authentic and have the authority in place. You can’t get to the money until then and the above graphic is very clear on this principle.
When it comes to your audience you must know who they are and, in many occasions, they will be like you. You must then determine the impact and level of impact you want to have on these people, but the most important thing is why!
Again, sit down and think about who your ideal customer is. What are they suffering from and how can you help them in the biggest possible way? Then you will have your “Why”.
To be successful in business you must always know how to be your true authentic self. When you show that level you will gain the authority status that your audience will relate to and establish that connection.
Helping you build your authenticity, authority and audience.
Trish Davies
Build Your AU
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