As the world gets more and more full of people doing market-y things, I believe that the power of personal authenticity (and sometimes vulnerability) is more important than ever in business…
But how much is too much?
And how do you know whether you’ve got the right kind of business to share yourself in the way you see me sometimes sharing myself here, in videos or on stage?
(OK, well…maybe not as much as I share, but you get my point…)
In this week’s video, I’m going to share (no pun intended) with you how to be vulnerable from a powerful place, how to distinguish what to share with your clients and community and what not to share.
It’s short…under 3 minutes. So go ahead and watch it now:
Obviously there are businesses that lend themselves, more so than others, to having more of you – your experiences, your family, your feelings, your dreams and your setbacks – show up.
But I believe that even if you have a more “professional” business that markets to other businesses, there is still a place for using authenticity and vulnerability, in an appropriate way, to create more meaningful relationships with your customers and potential clients.
In the end, even if you’re B2B, you’re still marketing to a person, not a building or set of offices. And it’s been my experience that people crave personal connection, even in marketing, especially in marketing.
If you’re too buttoned up, it’s going to be hard to develop the kind of long term relationships that are the foundation of any business.
Plus, it’s so freeing to get to be YOU.
So how much is too much? I think of the distinction between personal and private. Clearly we don’t want to be airing our dirty laundry!
As I explained in this week’s short training video, it’s best to share stories that you would feel comfortable sharing with an acquaintance. The opposite, oversharing or being inappropriate, can lead to a vulnerability hangover… “Wow, I can’t believe I wrote that.” 😉
Ultimately, some of the greatest connections I’ve had with you are when I’ve shared what was happening, from my heart, with truth. (I don’t seem to have the ability anymore to do anything other than that. My chest tightens and I simply have to tell the truth about what is going on.)
So I want to inspire you today to share more of yourself with your audience! Allow them to know you and, if appropriate, your heart. Believe it or not, it actually translates to lots more business, because people ultimately buy from people they know, like and trust.
How about sharing a bit more about you? Let me know with a “YES, Fabienne!” in the comments!
From my heart to yours,
Fabienne
P.S. This is also an invitation to drop any facades, masks or personas that you’ve been wearing in your business, because you think people who do what you do are supposed to look/act/behave a certain way. God, did I do that in the beginning! Ugh. It’s not until I showed people who I really was that my ideal clients started coming out of the woodwork and still do. Just. Do. You. It’s so much easier (and profitable). <3
6 Responses
Great video, you hit nail on the head, I felt awful today, had nightmare last night, but I like sharing emotions with people, by chatting about it certainly made feel better, you just keep coming with great content, and know I wiil. Look forward seeing your next video and reading your next post, take care Fabiane
Thank you so much for your kind words, Dan!
Yes and such perfect timing! In this week’s blog I wrote about being vulnerable when I shared and asked for help at the recent Half-Day Solution in NYC. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/asking-help-even-though-makes-you-feel-vulnerable-rachel-mueller-lust XOXO Rachel
Thank you for sharing, Rachel!
YES, Fabienne; absolutely yes, I don’t know how to tell anything except the truth in my blog. Now to get that working for me is the next step …….
Great to hear it, Dr. Ni!