The Value of Authenticity in Your Business

What does it take for you to trust someone? Usually, you need to believe that you see their true colors. You want someone to be real with you before you can determine whether you mesh well and want to continue a close relationship.

The same is true between customer and business. A full 90% of consumers said authenticity is important in deciding which brands they like and support. Business owners understand that but often fall short in being authentic in their marketing.

How can you be authentic as a business owner? Here are some ideas you can use to be more transparent and real in every area of your company.

Hire Passionate People

Your employees are the face of your brand, so hiring the rights ones is important. If you want the public to see your company as passionate and dedicated, you need employees who have those traits as well.

Being passionate yourself is the starting point, of course. If you don’t love what you do, it will be difficult to share an authentic message or attract passionate staff. From there, evaluate your potential employees based not only on their skills but also on their drive and authenticity.

When you have authentic employees, they’ll be able to share the vision of your company clearly with the customers and prospects they speak with.

Build Relationships Through Marketing

The idea of marketing as a message that is sent AT someone in the hopes that they will respond is long outdated. Today’s marketing is effective when there’s significant engagement between the company and the consumer.

Marketing with authenticity is all about building those relationships. Talk about the problems you solve with understanding and enthusiasm. Think about who your customers become after they implement your solution. Are they more productive, more successful, happier? Share those benefits!

From there, listen to what your prospective customers say and respond. This is easiest on a platform like social media, but you can engage with your audience on your website, blog, and through an email list as well.

The key is to have a two-way conversation where you show that you understand and care about your audience’s needs. That transparency goes a long way toward building the trust that leads to sales.

Acknowledge National Events With Honesty

Business doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Everyone is impacted by national and local events in their everyday lives, and that includes you and your employees.

Don’t be shy about using your company as a platform to have honest conversations about what’s going on in your community and the nation. Share how your values tie into what’s going on and how your company is going to respond.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted companies all over the world. There’s no use pretending nothing is happening — everyone is affected. Instead, be transparent about how your company has been impacted, how much customer support means to you, and what you’re doing to keep everyone safe.

The racial riots and increased awareness of racial issues in 2020 is another example of a place your business can be authentic. Don’t put out a politically-themed statement if your company doesn’t honestly care about diversity and race. Instead, share from the heart how you feel and how your business is responding. Consumers can tell when a company is jumping on the bandwagon and it really means what it says.

Be Transparent in Your Business Processes

You certainly don’t have to share your company secrets with the entire world, but being transparent about your operations and financial standing can go a long way toward building trust with consumers.

Sharing your company financials internally with your employees is a great place to start. There are standards among accounting professionals, called the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These are overseen by an accounting standards board, and they foster a high level of transparency via tenets such as the principle of sincerity and the principle of continuity. Encourage your accounting staff to share not only these principles but your financials with the rest of the organization. This way, your staff will understand where the company is headed and how things are going. This increases confidence and helps your team feel like you value them and their participation.

Being honest in your public financial documents is essential as well. You don’t want to use fancy accounting tricks to make your balance sheet look better than it is or hide major expenses behind confusing documentation.

When your public information is clear, easy-to-read, and honest, customers will understand how your business is run. This fosters trust and helps you grow your business.

Authenticity Builds Success

Many companies are afraid to be authentic because they don’t want to be vulnerable. They think consumers want a business that is rock-solid, stoic, and unmovable. The truth is that people enjoy companies they can relate to.

Share the people behind the scenes. Be honest about how national events affect your company, your staff, and you personally. Build your marketing on the foundation of customer engagement rather than shouting your message at everyone.

When you do, you’ll find your company becomes more successful than you ever thought it could be!