Be yourself. What does that actually mean?
According to Psychology Today, “In general, ‘be yourself’ means be true to your core identity rather than faking a different one because you think it will be attractive to others.”
This makes me think of a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
It is definitely one of the greatest accomplishments, but also one of the greatest challenges. This is why I work with corporate organizations through the Your Brilliant Difference™ program, so that you can learn how you work best with your team, your clients, and in your environment.
When you can understand who your best self is and how to show up to work with your strengths every day, your best business performance will follow.
Here are some tips to help you be yourself in sales and all work conversations to grow revenue and business innovation.
1. Identify Your Brilliant Difference™
Your Brilliant Difference™ is a combination of:
- Your Brilliance: Your unique talents and gifts.
- Your Difference: Your unique value you add to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around you.
Your brilliance and your difference make up who you are, the impact you deliver, and who others get to be because of who you are.
Understanding your Brilliant Difference™ really means getting to the root of who you are and what makes you the best you, helping you be yourself in your business to deliver an optimal customer experience. Learn how to uncover your Brilliant Difference™ here.
2. Stray From Negativity Bias
According to VeryWell Mind: “The negativity bias is our tendency not only to register negative stimuli more readily but also to dwell on these events.”
It’s normal human behaviour to remember insults over compliments and think negative thoughts more frequently than positive thoughts, which all stem from negativity bias.
The issue is that if you fall into the claws of negativity bias, it can distort your self-awareness and how you see yourself. If how you see yourself is distorted, you can’t be yourself.
Here are a few actions to help you overcome negativity bias:
- Be grateful and celebrate all the positive elements of your life, including work milestones.
- Identify what causes your negative thoughts.
- When you notice a pattern, try to replace your negative thoughts with realistic, positive thoughts.
- Accept your negative thoughts. Avoiding them will only make them louder.
In your business, you can make the most out of any situation by using these tips!
3. Find Your Calm Space in a Tornado Vortex
Between work, hobbies, family life, and managing friendships, it can feel like you’re pulled in several directions on a daily basis. This is what I like to call a tornado vortex. All of your priorities generate noise and busyness in your life. While there are positive elements to this, it can prevent you from finding a calm space, getting back to your roots, and remembering who you are. This is especially so at work too. In your business, you may juggle sales, client management, and administrative tasks. When the noise (tasks) become too loud (too much) give yourself some quiet time to remember your Brilliant Difference™ and who you are, helping you be your best self.
Your Customers Come for You, Not Your Business
In case you’re still on the fence about how being yourself ties into sales and business, think about this: your business is your brand and the services you offer, but you’re the human behind it and that’s who your customers actually come to work with. Having a brand, social media accounts, and a website is crucial to delivering an efficient customer experience, but at the end of the day, people want to work with people. Whether they stick around because of your empathy, humour, or attention to detail, they form a long-term partnership because of who you are and how you help them. So, be yourself.