In Business, Consider the Importance of Being Earnest

In a recent interview on the National Council for Women’s Business and Education website (NCWBE.com), Tess of VirtualAssistantForums.com, was asked what personal quality was most important in launching her business, and her answer was, “sincerity.”  

Her internet forum is a huge success, in less than a year, so her advice to business owners must be taken seriously.

Considering the aggression and nearly diabolical cleverness that seem to be the foundation of business in America today, “sincerity” is an odd value to name in the context of business success.  Our image of the corporate world is that of a merciless, out-of-control monster, a colossal machine demanding that we play by its rules or perish, a harshly competitive environment where the rewards can be out-of-this-world and the losses can be devastating in like measure.

How could it be that sincerity figures in this equation?

We have come full circle.  In a capitalism driven to cutthroat competition, it is the meek that attain true USP (unique selling point)!  Want to be different, to stand out from the crowd?  Set new criteria!  Set your standards by ethical values instead of just by ROI.

The admission of sincerity as a tool for success marks a major evolutionary step for commerce in the US.  Perhaps we’re beginning to recognize that a foundation in honesty is more important than luck, connections or huge marketing budgets.  We’re coming back around to grounding our work and lifestyles in values of profound meaning, not overlooking but going far beyond mere profit.

Smart businesses today thrive on sincerity not only because betrayal lurks everywhere but also because we so desperately crave to trust and be trusted.  When we can find a service-provider, vendor, employee, associate, partner or other colleague whose sincerity is unquestionable, negative aspects of the relationship are minimized.  You’ll put up with a great deal before you sever relations with someone you know you can trust.

And so sincerity becomes a sought-after commodity, a reputation for the business owner that pays off well in a general economic climate of suspicion.  Though business owners of Tess’ enlightenment are few, they’re a growing breed.  Their dedication to creating a better world is impressively determined.  They will not compromise their mission to live sincerely.  Their businesses are transparent, and thereby profoundly trusted.  The increase in income is only one of the benefits.

Unfortunately, you can’t teach sincerity; you can’t take a class and get certified as a sincere person.  Yet you would prefer to be able to trust anyone with whom you’re doing business, right?  So the reverse is also true: if your services are recognized as sincere, you’ll attract more clientele.  

If you wish to impress upon the world the sincerity of your intentions (and thus of your business), there are a few things you can do.  Here’s a short list of practices that will orient you to the sincere life.  Try these three steps, in order.

Mean it
This is the hardest part and also the most rewarding.  When doing planning of any kind – whether for the startup of your business, or for a marketing or annual plan or even an idea scratched out on a napkin – are you starting from something you can really feel sincere about?  When in the midst of operations, pause to consider - am I being honestly sincere?  Am I pretending to be sincere when my mind’s really on something else?

Be mindful
Being sincere requires focus and listening skills.  You can practice this on a continuous basis as you go through your day.  Use stoplights, or the phone ringing, or any regularly occurring event as your private signal to switch your attention to listening.  It’s simple, and your ability to concentrate and respond appropriately will increase dramatically.  

Please don’t forget that listening includes – even emphasizes – listening to yourself.  By listening, you become mindful of realities and possibilities both within and outside of yourself.  When you are mindful, you are sincere.

Leverage
There will be significant response to your sincerity.  Perhaps it will be slow starting, but it will come.  You’ll get the customers/clients/audiences or whatever it is you’re seeking.  Be sure to listen carefully to these people, and be prepared to leverage any new opportunities.  Sincerity must be continually practiced; it can’t be put aside when your marketing campaign is over.

Notice that it matters less what we are doing than how sincerely we are doing it.

An example:  Joe’s sincere goal is to get rich quick.  He registers for every opportunity possible.  He spends a lot of money, but he sticks with it and in the end his dreams are more than realized.  

Another example:  Tanya sincerely wants to do something helpful and also live comfortably at home with her two cats.  She’s found her niche as a Virtual Assistant, where she can be of real support to her clients while working in her living room, and she couldn’t be happier.

One more:  Carlos sincerely loves cars.  He also sincerely loves his wife and child and wants to provide well for them.  His tactic as a car salesman emphasizes his intimacy with automobiles and his empathy with other young professionals who have families.  His selling record is widely admired.

Though very different, Joe, Tanya and Carlos share a simple tool for realizing their dreams:  they don’t pull any punches!  They are all creative people who proudly build their individual utopias, based on the sincerity of their desires, which they communicate openly and unabashedly.

How about you?  Do you enjoy the sincere life?  Do you reap its benefits?