Authentic businesses have a quality that stands out above the rest. Confidence. The best networkers have it and the best brands carry it too.
Confidence comes from having an identity, self awareness and a clear direction.
So what creates confidence in a business? We’ve been operating as a branding and marketing agency for years and we can tell you that it boils down to one thing: Purpose. When you know your purpose, you have confidence, when you lose that focus you lose confidence. The confidence matrix is knowing (and living) according to the four pillars of a great brand and a great business.
If you know and live these out in real life it’s transformational. Being brave in our convictions even gives momentum to our conversations.
Watch the latest episode of the Purpose People Podcast now via the image link below…
So where does it start?
Belief –
As a branding and marketing agency, we can tell you that without confidence, you won’t invest. Neither your Time, your Talent or your treasure. How much of these three are you willing to invest in your dream?
When dealing with prospects, risk is a big part. How much are they willing to lose or invest? The answer to this question is an indication of how much belief they have in your services or product or even in you.
Confidence is the ability to care deeply enough that you want to do what it takes to see ‘it’ through.
As we have grown as a company I have asked myself this question regularly. Does the person sitting opposite me believe? Are they willing to move forward, despite any doubts they might have because the vision pulls them?
Using the Purpose Playbook I can bring clarity to the dream they have and help people to believe that they can change a corner of the world for the better.
When I am talking to a prospect it’s really about seeing if we align. You only have so much time and you have to work with things you believe in and the people that fit.
With the Purpose Playbook we will take you on a journey. We are the real deal and we can create confidence and clarity. Two companies we have worked with have recently acquired their B-Corp Status (Fulkers and Core3). Very different fields but aligned on purpose for good.
Without belief in what you are doing, you will give in and give up when tough times come. Resilience is knowing that you are doing the right thing, so you keep going.
Conviction versus circumstance. If the worst happens, will you keep going? For me, the answer is clear. Purpose in my working world is a priority – the connections I have enable me to move closer towards it. The clients I have allow me to live it and to help serve others in fulfilling their purpose.
The next part of the confidence matrix is…
Belong.
You can do life alone but that isn’t what life is supposed to be. We were born to be connected. Living for a cause greater than oneself gives life meaning and meaning creates momentum. Belonging is being surrounded by people that can help.
What change needs to be made to live confidently?
Speak to strangers. Belief in what you are doing helps you to do this. It enables you to belong to a culture that you can create and excel with.
Acting is hard and exhausting. Being in a room full of actors is hard. The energy it takes to be a fake leaves you feeling drained. Why? Because your people should enthuse you. That is why I can’t do fake. The more you believe in what you are doing, the easier it is to spot those that don’t align with it.
I have networked in many situations but I know that arriving early is a superpower in itself. When you arrive early, chances are you are the only person in room. Naturally, people will want to speak to people and if they are the second or third person then 9 times out of 10 they will want to engage with you. Be open, deal with the awkwardness and invite them over. In a matter of time the third and fourth will join. No more awkward room, you’ve created the atmosphere.
Too often, when looking to build a collective we are reactionary, but the real winners are intentional about building relationships.
When we belong, our confidence goes from one to many.
Best:
What are you best at? Your true superpower. Every business has one, and it’s up to you to know it. Really know it. Not a guess, but to know what you do best.
Asking others can be illuminating. When clients go through the process of our Purpose Playbook they always enjoy the depth and sense of purpose it wakes them up to. It gives them permission to be themselves (not that they needed it, it just helps to hear it out loud).
In the creative industry getting the messaging right at source is taking time on the story. Often, we simply don’t take the time to reflect and the Purpose Playbook helps people to do just that.
When you know who you are, the people you love working with and for, and what you are exceptional at, everything changes and people buy into you, quickly.
When investing in something, certainty is everything because in a world of relative truth it stands out. While everyone is confused, you know the way. You can give a confident YES to moving forward by deciding what is BEST.
Now, your best will improve, and you will get better but knowing and validating contributes to the confidence matrix.
Beyond:
The three pillars of Belief, Belong and Best connect people quickly to what you are about, but the beyond piece is the glue behind it all.
Understanding the legacy you wish to create allows for an exceptional life. As you are clear on Belief, Belong, and Best you’ll find people that help you to go Beyond.
Beyond attracts ‘like-hearted’ people. Since we have been living according to the three pillars, the fourth one has materialised in front of us. That level of execution has been deliberate and we have a happier team because we know we are working in the zone with the right people.
We recognised we had to get B-Corp and when we did it showed others that they could do it too. We had to show Podcasts work to demonstrate to others that it would work for them too. Everything we do is to create a platform for what lies ‘beyond’. Going beyond means going ahead and that is why in 2024 we are reaching into new countries. Why? To show others they can go there too.
These four pillars are at the heart of the Purpose Playbook and that is what makes our brands purposeful.
If you need your story to be told by a branding and marketing agency, we are experts at it, but we will also help you find the characters for that story, create new chapters and ultimately make your story a best seller.
Our confidence matrix is our Purpose Playbook, and it can be yours too.