Is the person you are dealing with really real? Better find out using this proven assessment.
By Kevin Daum
In today's world, authenticity counts. Whether you are pursuing a new job, new love interest, or a new business relationship, you are counting on the other person to be honest and genuine. But humans can be complicated, and not always what they seem. Actual authenticity can be hard to find. That may be why so many people prefer dogs.
Greg Liberman, a YPO member and Former Chairman and CEO of Spark Networks, dedicated 10 years of his life to helping people find authenticity in relationships through sites like JDate and ChristianMingle. Now as CEO of PuppySpot, a service that connects dog lovers with responsible breeders nationwide, Liberman strongly believes that dogs are much better than people at detecting authenticity. "They can smell it a mile away," he says, and his experience with both species has allowed him to recognize the identifiable paths toward what's really real. Here are the key features of running an authentic business, according to Liberman.
- Know your mission clearly and execute it consistently.
PuppySpot's mission is to make lives better by placing healthy puppies into happy homes. "That's our North Star that guides the business. Customers relate to it," Liberman explains, "It's also a driving force for employees to reference and be inspired by when making decisions." Sticking to your mission means your people and your audience are spared having to continually guess what you're all about.
- Don't ask for trust; earn it through transparency and action.
Dogs are not the only ones who suffer when confronted with confusion and misinformation. There's a lot of that in the puppy industry, too. Anyone who has heard the term "puppy mill" knows it can be tough to find a dog from a responsible, humane source. Liberman expands, "In the name of building trust, we post every single customer review - good, bad or neutral - on our website for all to see. It's integral for prospective customers to see and hear from others who have experienced your service first-hand and can vouch for a company's reputation." Liberman also found reviews a tremendous source of internal motivation for company members...not unlike striving to be the person your dog thinks you are. Read more
