There is a trend in sales that is a breath of fresh air. It’s called The New Authenticity. Let me provide some sales tips on what it is, why it’s happening and how you can use it.

The New Authenticity Defined
All of us have seen black and white movies where we get glimpses of the stereotypical salesman from the 1940’s and 1950’s (women were rarely allowed in the profession at that time). Sadly, these movies were not parodies. Unfortunately, much of the sales training dished out today is based on that model.

Fast forward to 2009. Yes, there has been progress in how sales professionals are trained, but essentially we are being coached in how to manipulate the customer in one form or another.

The New Authenticity is focused on service and personal credibility with our customers versus arm wrestling and psychological sales tactics. Don’t misunderstand; sales professionals who practice The New Authenticity are attempting to maximize their selling opportunities. The New Authenticity teaches that we can be forthright, open and protective of our customers as a means of being more effective, even if it means we may forfeit sales in the short term.

Why The New Authenticity Is Growing So Quickly
There are three primary reasons The New Authenticity is growing rapidly:

1. The amount of selling pressure being exerted on customers in our current selling environment has become counterproductive. When you push too hard, people push back.
2. It’s become an escalating war of avoidance from the point of the customer. I’m amazed at the sophistication that customers have resorted to in order to avoid talking with a salesperson. Traditional cold calling is almost dead. It doesn’t work anymore.
3. All sales professionals look the same to customers. We all say the same things. We all use the same selling concepts. There is nothing new under the sun except The New Authenticity. Customers see us in a completely different way when we use this method. We’re not lost in the white noise of traditional sales approaches.

Sales Tips For Implementing The New Authenticity With Your Customers
When I discuss this concept with other sales professionals they all go through the same three-step process: 1) This won’t work, 2) I feel like I’m doing exactly the opposite of what I should be doing, 3) It works because customers put their defenses down.

Here’s how you can implement The New Authenticity with your customers:

• Be yourself. No more scripts. You’ve got a personality; use it.
• Be honest about your company’s strengths and weaknesses. Ironically, revealing a weakness voluntarily makes your strengths appear stronger to a customer.
• Be up-front about your intentions with customers. If you’re trying to add an existing product line to what they already buy from you, tell them.
• Lose the marketing exaggeration. Be honest about your company and yourself.
• Use the creativity you were born with. Be original in your approach.
• Lower your defenses. No one wants to deal with anyone who is defensive. Openness is the antithesis of defensiveness.

Two Warnings
Warning One: There will be sales trainers coming out of the woodwork telling you this is a bad idea. Don’t listen to them. They’re old school. They don’t want to change and adapt. Look at the top sales professionals in your company. All of them are already using some form of The New Authenticity.

Warning Two: Depending on where you sit on the continuum of old school versus The New Authenticity, you might want to ease into this New Authenticity thing. You’ll want to do this for a couple of reasons. First, you don’t want to frighten your customers. Second, you’ll need time to adapt and learn this style.

©2010 Scott R. Sheaffer

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1. Your Style Of Customer Relationship Skills Might Be Sinking Your Ship
2. Free Sales Tips: Three principles that can change our sales careers
3. Upset Customers – Customer Complaints

Tags: customers, personality, sales-training, script, service

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