Is your brand authenticity holding you growth back?

Being authetic starts with your personal brand

I want to persuade you of something I think will help you to transform your business success. It's not exactly something I invented. You probably already knew it to be true. But then, you likely put it to the back of your mind as one of those nice to have's for consideration another day.

I'm talking about authenticity.

“Authenticity is your most precious commodity as a leader. ... "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation".”

Coco Chanel

The digital world is all about authenticity and having a purpose. Gone are the days when small businesses could look to stand in the shoes of big companies and adopt the same behaviours. The Internet makes the world transparent. If you say one thing and do another, it seeps out through review sites and weak endorsements.

I cannot count the times I've been asked by companies to market products or services that almost, nearly, or will one day soon exist; I've been asked to launch offerings on mass media campaigns that have never been sold before to anyone. Some have been on the drawing board. Yet, still their investors expect the marketing guy' to put lipstick on the pig and sell it by the wagon load.

Authenticy is everything in marketing today. Buyers want to spend their money on something they believe in. They detest suppliers that sell them short, and make hollow promises. If you are hiding your authenticity, you're taking the wrong path.

What if though, your don't feel the real you (or your real offer) is up to the scrutiny of your buyer audience? What if, to get those precious early deals, you need to exaggerate the truth a little?

My answer is - You're in the wrong era! If you want to be a successful business in the digital age, there is no choice BUT to be authentic.

And it begins with you. Coco Chanel ran an authentic brand because she was authentic. Her values transferred into the ethos and behaviours of her company. Set out your stall by working out what drives you - what is the mountain you have the passion and drive to climb?

And when you do it (and you will succeed if you do), be authentic and true to that ambition.

Don't gamble your business growth on a web of fibs!

It's my belief that there is a culture in sales and marketing leaders that's been hoisted on them through the burdens placed on them by others, that generating sales leads is an outcome, and end-game.

Within the fictitious alter-reality where 'lead generation rules' it doesn't matter how you get potential buyers to click on a call to action button, or give-up their personal information... just so long as they do. Because that's the gig.. sales leads at all costs.

...because sales leads = more customers = more sales = more growth.

No. No. No. Sales leads that don't result in a profitable sale are a cost, and a burden to your business. A sales enquiry that is in essence a suspect individual or company that has no intent to buy, doesn't see value in your offer, and that only exists as a figment of your Marketing Qualified Leads stats... is not going to move the revenue dial forward. Not a jot.

I fundamentally disagree with this ethos of somehow ‘tricking people’ into a conversation. A sales lead that doesn’t result in a sale is a cost overhead to your business—it serves no purpose or value.

Try this formula instead

Business growth comes from your ability to originate and harness value to customers, and that, in a digital age, you must expose more of that value to customers earlier in their exploration of buying options and possibilities.  

If you want to create more conversions, you need to show more value to your prospective audience! NOT trick them. NOT cajole them…but to show them earnestly what you can do to bring them differentiating value.

This pre-supposes your product or service is in a state of maturity that allows you to show customers value. That said, if you’re unable to offer sufficient customer value, your potential audience won’t buy anyway—even if you do cajole them to click on a link!

And that's what this newsletter is about... how to boost your business growth by learning the tips, tricks, tools and methods to do it. I'm talking about the positive growth habits that drive consistent high growth results.

My name is Ian Tomlin. I've dedicated my career to the triumvirate of strategy, marketing and technology. I've written a dozen or so books on the subjects, consulted to a small portoin of the world's community of tech millionaire entrepreneurs, co-invented one of the most impactful cloud technology platforms (Encanvas).. and today I run the Growth Engineering company, Newton Day.

Along with my family-led team of notables, we've put together 10 Growth Hacks that over the next few weeks and months will equip you with the know-how to make your marketing engine purr and your profits stack up.

Anyway, that's me up for today. Until next time.