Authenticity is essential for business because it gives you the resources you need to stand out from your competition, build a universally recognized and trustworthy brand. Show your audience that you are valuable and will positively impact the industry and life. It’s easy to acquire new skills you need while accepting who you are. This is when your real value will be noticed.
In other words, you may be able to deceive people at first, but that won’t produce a sustainable business, nor is it a happy way to live your life. However, building a successful brand requires believing in the values you share and proving them with actions. When you truly value something, you can be more innovative and calculated in your movements. The following are five tips to help maintain your authenticity to run a more successful and sustainable business:

IDEAS FROM ME

1. Be Transparent and Confident

Don’t cut corners and always own up to your mistakes. Be confident in your delivery and always apologize if things go wrong.

2. Be Responsive and Recognize Your Audience

Your audience or customers are the reason you are here. Actively engage with them even if it has nothing to do with your business. Show them you care for more than just one thing. Sharing your life, interest, and values outside your business and company agenda humanizes you and build trust with your audience.

3. Be True to Your Mission Statement

If you don’t agree with the values you set for your business, how can you truly be authentic? Read over your values and make sure you relate to them. If something stands out, redesign it to be truer to how you work and act as a person. Again, when you like or value something, you naturally give it more attention and work. You don’t settle until it’s the best.

4. Value Consistency

Keep your mission, values, image, and communication consistent and market it on as many channels as possible. The goal is to design a personality through art and written words that your audience will know it’s you within seconds, without even having to verify. But, of course, your logo is not the only thing responsible—the colors you use and tone of voice matter too.

5. Allow and Ask for Customer Feedback

Ask your customers for their advice, and don’t shy from criticism. As a business owner, you should understand that value starts with how you help your customer. Therefore, the information provided should be listened to and used as an asset. Through this information, you can improve and do better as you are given direct insight on what to do from your customer.

Authenticity is required to deliver the right message and value to your audience. As you follow the tips above and continue to grow a business, you won’t have a problem maintaining your authenticity.
 

QUOTES FROM THE PROS:

“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships, that, taken together, account for a consumers’ decision to choose one  or service over another.” - Seth Godin

 

"You are not your resume, you are your work" - Seth Godin

 
What have you learned along the way?