I love getting ‘naked’, and I don’t mean removing my clothes. If that’s what you were thinking, get your mind out of the gutter!

‘Getting naked’ is a choice we make everyday! Getting naked means getting real. So what is ‘getting naked’ and why should I be ‘getting naked’ with my friends, colleagues and clients?

If you’re anything like me, and I suspect some of you are, it doesn’t matter how polished your presentation is, how good your reputation, or how many recommendations you have – unless you’re genuinely interested in me, I’m not feeling it.

Confidence, authority and knowledge are great skills, but they come second to candor, humility and authenticity. Someone who understands and befriends me is always going to come up on top in my books because I know that they’ll always do the right thing, even if that means a smaller commission on their sale or passing the business on to someone more suitable.

I’m a pretty simple guy to understand. I’m not complicated and I am who I am – what you see is what you get. If you need my help and I don’t have the answer, i’ll find it. If you want to meet someone and I don’t know them, i’ll try my best to make it happen.

Patrick Lencioni, President of Table Group says “Even before landing a client, a naked consultant will demonstrate vulnerability and take risks. They will give away their best ideas and start consulting to a prospective client during a sales call. In fact, they’ll do no real selling at all, foregoing that activity in order to find a way to help potential clients even if they never actually become a real, paying one.

‘Get Naked’ today. Here’s how:

1. Confronting clients (kindly) with difficult information and perspectives, even if the client might not like hearing it.
2. Admit your weaknesses and willingly acknowledge your mistakes.
3. Ask potentially dumb questions, and make potentially dumb suggestions, because if asking those questions or suggestions might help your clients, then it is worth doing.

The world of sales & connecting people is (slowly) evolving. People are learning to become more client focused and less ‘me’ focused.

How would ‘getting naked’ work in your business?

Recommended Resources:
Patrick Lencioni www.tablegroup.com (whos article I have picked pieces from)
Keith Ferrazzi – Who’s got your back (www.keithferrazzi.com)
Ari Galper – www.unlockthegame.com (changing the way people ‘sell’)