Heralding The Age of Authenticity

Okay... starting AFTER this post, expect less lengthy articles like this and much more commentary and questions concerning the things we all deal with every day as entrepreneurs, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children, etc... I've got a renewed vision to see this blog be more spontaneous and a dialogue versus monologues from me. That having been said, here's an article that explains the origins of this renewed vision ...

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Heralding The Age of Authenticity
by Thom Scott

Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to be part of the phenomenal Strategic Profits "Live" Conference. My hats off to Rich Schefren and his team who did a fantastic job of designing and hosting the event, as well as assembling a top-shelf team of experts including my original marketing mentor, Jay Abraham (www.abraham.com), as well as my new friend and Web 2.0 master, Gary Vaynerchuk (www.winelibrary.com).

During the entire 7 days of intense training, whether the topic was leadership, product launches, direct mail or personal branding, one theme rang supreme ... "Growing Beyond Me-Too."

Of course, this was tremendous validation of my "Marketing From The Heart" System which actually leads my clients through the process of becoming authentic and attractive. It was also validation of The Law of Authenticity as expressed by my business partner, Bob Burg and his co-author, John David Mann in their national bestseller, The Go-Giver.

As with any true principle, The Law of Authenticity has ALWAYS been effective. However, the fact that it is included in The Go-Giver as well as my "Marketing From The Heart" System and that every speaker at this conference addressed it is, I believe, indicative of an emerging trend in business. I'll call it, "The Age of Authenticity."

The more I have studied this theory of mine, the more I see past examples of "packaged" and somewhat inauthentic messages that were made possible by one-way media. Even the first generation of businesses on the web utilized static, brochure-like web pages that enabled small, start-up companies to appear as big and impressive as established mid-to-large size concerns. In fact, many rushed to establish a presence on the web in order to take advantage of that “benefit.”

However, 2 changes have occurred that I believe are putting an end to the "Age of Packaging" and ushering in "The Age of Authenticity." The first is that we have become collectively sick and tired of over-hyped advertising. We're weary of people who are different before and after the sale. In short, we're weary of inauthenticity. From politics to television to the business arena, we have begun to see that reality (or at least messages closer to reality) sell better than their overly-packaged counterparts.

Why did this shift in thinking occur? Well, as my dad used to say, "nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising." Not that all of the products or services were bad ... but by and large they simply didn't deliver on the "magic bullet" messages that were used to sell them. And, even though these hype-filled approaches can still be very effective in the short-term, they inevitably leave clients feeling somewhat ambivalent.

(Parenthetically, many also have a product or service that truly is good and unique and they seek to add value, BUT mimicking others’ approaches, they haven't stood out from the competition. These true value-providers have become increasingly frustrated by their lack of market penetration. In their search to find a tactic that will work, they have stumbled upon a rare and powerful force in communications - the truth!)

The second big change that ushers in this new age of authenticity is the introduction of web 2.0 which facilitates and has popularized two-way communications on the internet. Ask any reality tv contestant... with the camera rolling 24/7, the real you is bound to show up at some point. The same is true on the web ... blogs, video podcasts and other popular mediums eventually betray their authors’ true selves if they are in any way inauthentic. Also, because of the wealth of available information and cool services like Google maps, it's no longer possible to "fake it till you make it," as anyone can quickly pull up an aerial view of my house, among other things, to verify whether or not I really have that Ferrari parked in front of my golf course mansion.

Okay, so we have this new "Age of Authenticity" thing happening. So what? What does it mean to us and how do we put the power of the Law of Authenticity to work for us? Glad you asked - since you may know that I am big on application! Well, believe it or not, so many of us have been conditioned, at a very early age, to become or act like something we're not in order to gain approval, that it often makes being truly authentic more difficult than wearing a "mask." Real authenticity takes the courage to willingly experience the polarization of relationships with those that love you and rejection from those who do not.

While the path to authenticity is often a progressive and evolving journey, one that takes my clients several weeks to navigate, I would advise that if you feel that this is something you need, you can begin your journey to true authenticity with the following questions:

Does the image that I portray to others really express who I am or the essence of my company? Do I like the people I am attracting as clients? Would I hang out with them if I didn't do business with them? Do I try to cover up my past mistakes and setbacks, or do I share these with others to reveal my inner motivations and help them grow through my experiences? Do I attempt to show great proficiency at every facet of my business or personal life, or do I clearly express my giftedness and challenges and seek to find others who can compensate for my weaknesses? How can I embrace the positive side of my quirks and allow others to see them? How can I live my life in such a way that when I am gone, I have left my thumbprint on the world and the lives of those in my sphere of influence? You get the idea.

While I tend to address topics like this through the lens of business, authenticity is obviously a message that reaches into every facet of our lives. It is vital to both our personal happiness and our success and something that I need to grapple with every morning as I face the man in the mirror.