Why be average in business when you can be authentic? If you ask us, average is overrated, and the importance of being yourself far outweighs fitting the mold. True authenticity allows you to shine. You set yourself up for opportunity. You surprise people. You’re memorable. You’re relatable. You’re happier. You get to create your own unique story. Ultimately, you thrive.

Let’s take a look at a few specific ways that being yourself at work can be your very own secret weapon in your growing career.

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Being yourself is a powerful way to attract the right people. When you are transparent with your intentions and open about your goals, it’s easier to find people who are aligned with your vision. In building a team, this minimizes turnover and ensures that you are spending your time and energy with the right people.

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Authenticity is crucial in winning hearts and minds. When you’re true to yourself as a leader, you stick to your principles no matter the time, place, or circumstance. For the most part, you behave the same in your professional capacity as you do in your personal life. You say what you mean and you mean what you say. Your consistency, trustworthiness, and strength of character make people want to follow you.

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There is power in vulnerability. Openness and transparency are qualities that make you magnetic as a leader. Your team members want to know that you’re fallible, like they are, and that you can admit to your mistakes. They want the assurance that you’re in this together; and by being yourself, you show them that you are. Not only does your realness earn you the respect of your team members, but it inspires them to make mistakes and keep going too.

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Being genuine is essential to being persuasive. Whether or not you’re in a ‘sales’ role in the traditional sense of the word, sincerity is the most effective way to convince another person to act. Many salespeople believe they have to speak in a special tone of voice or adopt a sugary demeanor to be effective – but it’s exactly the opposite. Customers hate a cliché sales pitch – and they can tell when you’re not comfortable in your own skin. Being your (professionally mannered) self reduces skepticism and allows for natural conversation to flow, which in turn, sets the stage for a sale.

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When you’re comfortable being yourself, you’re less sensitive to the opinions of others. While you appreciate the well-intentioned advice of your loved ones, you don’t feel the need to please everyone. You have the confidence to make tough decisions about what’s best for your future – even if those decisions are unpopular with your family members and friends. The ability to follow your own path is a super power that will take you far in your career.

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Being yourself increases positivity. Why? Well, firstly, because embracing your individuality just feels good! It is incredibly freeing to stop trying to be someone you’re not. But secondly, instead of wasting your precious energy trying to fit in, you get to focus on building a life that has meaning to you. Tackling your authentic “why,” rather than emulating what’s popular, gives you purpose. This purpose transcends whatever bumps you face along the road and inspires you to get back on the horse after facing a setback. When you’re honest with yourself about what you really want in life and you’re actively taking steps to achieve your goals, you can’t help but to be .

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Do you have a story about how being yourself at work has paid off in your own career? Tweet us at @Cydcor. We’d love to hear it!

Ready to go beast mode? Beasts at sales are energetic, engaged, and capable of accomplishing just about anything! Unleashing your inner sales beast means stepping up your game to succeed at sales. Being a sales beast is a state of mind that drives you to be the best at what you do, but it also has a lot to do with how you behave and the image you project. While it’s important to trust your animal instincts, sometimes it takes a little good, old-fashioned discipline before things become instinctual.

By practicing the five B.E.A.S.T factors – body language, eye contact, awesome attitude, smile, and timing – you can start building great habits proven to help you succeed at sales.

Body Language:Your body is communicating with customers even before you’ve said a word. It’s important to understand the message you’re sending. Leaning on counters, tables, or desks as customers approach sends the message you’re bored and disinterested in speaking to them. It also doesn’t look very professional. Good posture has been shown in studies to make you feel more confident and prepared to make a sale. Facing the customer during a sales pitch can feel too confrontational, instead, stand to their side while you show them information. Don’t invade their personal space by getting too close, and avoid touching them other than a handshake, a high five, or a fist bump. Many people prefer not to be touched by strangers.

Eye Contact: Ever heard someone described as “shifty-eyed,” or have you noticed when somebody won’t make eye contact when they talk to you? It’s never a good thing. Keeping consistent eye contact helps you earn the customer’s trust by demonstrating that you’re confident and that you believe in what you’re telling them.  It communicates sincerity and genuine interest. It also allows you to connect with the customer, build rapport, and improve their engagement in the conversation – all customer service wins. By focusing on the customer’s eyes, you encourage them to pay attention and listen to you, and you can gauge whether they understand what you’re saying.

Awesome Attitude: By working in sales, you are helping to connect customers with services and products. Thinking of your role in terms of serving the customer, rather than just selling to him or her, helps you create a better experience for the customer, and most likely will result in more sales. That’s because people like to buy from people who make them feel good, cared for. People are busy, and not everyone is going to be polite when you approach them to make a sales pitch. But there’s no excuse for a salesperson to be rude, and it certainly won’t help you succeed at sales. When you maintain a great, confident, and friendly attitude, a customer who has already said no might change his or her mind later. But a customer you’ve been rude to is lost forever, and he or she might encourage others to avoid you, your product, or your company.

Smile: Studies have shown what you probably already know instinctively, smiling makes people feel good about you. Have you ever been in a bad mood and tried to keep a scowl on your face while the person you’re talking to is smiling. It’s tough, isn’t it? Smiling is contagious. It puts other people at ease, helps to change their mood, and most importantly, it leaves them with a good impression of you and what you have to say. While learning to smile consistently, and in a way that feels sincere and not forced, take practice, it’s probably the simplest thing you can do to improve your chances of making the sale.

Timing: Even when you do everything else right, the success of your sales pitch can sometimes come down to timing. Starting your pitch when the customer is too far away can force you to shout at them. Waiting until they are right in front of you can create an awkward feeling of intimacy. When approaching customers in person, start speaking to them when they are about seven feet away. Don’t wait until they have already passed you, or else you’ll be speaking to the back of their head, which puts you at a disadvantage.

Unleashing your inner sales beast takes more consistency and discipline than the name might suggest. Becoming a sales beast requires developing great communication techniques and professional habits that make the customer feel that you sincerely care about them and have their best interests at heart. The best sales beasts don’t depend on their killer instincts; instead, they use their B.E.A.S.T factors to convey confidence, sincerity, and helpfulness, which add up to the kind of creature qualities customers can’t resist.