Be Yourself: Deal or No Deal?

I'll be the first to tell you, I've lost a few sales because I didn't tell the prospect what they wanted to hear.  I told them the truth.  They want guarantees of success and systems that generate money from the sky with the push of a button.  They are looking to join with a certain personality, someone like them who believe a certain way.

Sure, I could make promises and put on a show to be the person the prospect wants me to be just to get the sale.  But that would be a lie.  It would be a terrible relationship, an unyoked fit and that's going to lead to nowhere fast.

There is such freedom in being myself, accepting me for me and as Mike Dillard says, "It's just another day at the office", when someone doesn't join your business with you.  I can sleep very well at night because I'm true to myself.

As network marketers, we are faced with a decision every time we do a video, write an article, post a blog, have a phone conversation, send an email as to who we are going to be and how we are going to present ourselves. 

When I was a rookie, and as I mentor my new business partners, there's a lot of confusion about who to be.  For example, a newbie to the business has no leadership posture, they are unsure about everything they should be doing and saying.  They feel like they have to know it all and be it all and even show or have some kind of proof that they are really somebody in the home business arena before they can market. 

They get this idea from ads they see in magazines and on websites where leaders are flashing money, red sports cars, girls in bikinis and greased up muscle men.  Oh, don't forget the bragging and showing of pay pal accounts, stacks of money all rubber banded together and the mansion that's been watered down to glisten for the photo.

I take the position that that type of advertising, while it works with some, it totally doesn't work with another group of people.  In fact, it's a turn off. 

Images like this make a new or fairly new business owner feel like they have to show proof of their success before they can advertise.  They get so freaked out about it and it causes then to stress out and wonder if they made the right decision to go into business.  They think they have to plan and plot their lies to be something they are not.  

What terrible stress and burden to carry around.  That's neither fun or productive.  I tell my newbies they are good enough to start and as they begin to interact with people, to be themselves. Ethics and authenticity are key in my opinion in building a long term relationship with your business partners and your customer list.  

Here's the thing about being ourselves.  When we are ourselves, we don't have to make excuses, or remember who we are suppose to be to who, we are true to our inner self, and as we pursue the critical personal development as we all should be doing on a daily basis, our true self just shines brighter and more confident.

It's totally ok that not everyone likes us.  There will be enough that do and will appreciate our authenticity.  That's putting attraction marketing to work.  My phone rings because of who I am.  I've given some examples how personal branding has worked for me.  It will work for you too.

Debbie Turner