We talk a great deal here in the Home Business blog about various ways to go about “doing business.” Many of us get it into our heads that the “business person” in us is somehow a completely different entity than the “real” person that we are in every other aspect of our lives. In reality, we need to be ourselves even when we are working at our home businesses and it is important to let our true personality shine through as we network and build our business’ reputation.
In my old life, working in nonprofit management and fundraising, I used to remind those working with me that people do not give money to organizations, they give money to people. I think that saying can be extended to regular business practices too. People do not want to do business with a building or a voice or an “establishment”—they want to do business with people. This means that they need to have the opportunity to get to know you as a person in order to make a connection.
Of course, this does not mean you should feel free to let your grumpiest self and all of your flaws hang out unbridled, but it also doesn’t mean that you should feel inclined to try to be perfect. It is our very human-ness—our personalities that draw people to us and we need to be real people with quirks and human warmth in order to allow our prospects, customers and clients to make a connection to us. Relax, let yourself just be who you are. If you make a mistake or have an off day, that is fine. The important thing is that you keep working at making your business better and improving your communication skills with the individuals you work with. The important thing is that you let your personality shine through.
See Also: How’s Your Phone Personality?
Do Extroverts or Introverts do Better in Small Business?