Does faith have a role in your business? As a man of faith, I have always been intrigued by how we as individuals approach our personal faith as we approach our business lives. Earlier this week I was reflective of two scenarios that represent both ends of the spectrum. The first incident occurred years ago when I was meeting a prospect for the first time for lunch. As we were talking she noticed someone at a table near us that was saying grace over their food. (Mind you, she did not realize that I had just said my grace as we were sitting there) She proceeded to complain about being in the south and how people just openly prayed over their food unlike in the North where they don't openly express their faith. Fast forward to this week where I was in a session with a law firm and the associate told the managing attorney that she joined the firm based on the acknowledgement on the website that the firm had faith at the center of it's core values. By the way, I never did get the business with that prospect.
Here are 4 reasons we encourage business owners who are people of faith to embrace and not shy away from expressing your faith as a core value in your business.
Age of Authenticity
Advanced by the impact of Social Media and the Influencer Culture, the business world, there has seen a growing recognition of the importance of authenticity and transparency in building trust with customers, employees, and other stakeholders. Many businesses are now focused on creating authentic and genuine connections with their customers, as well as building a culture of openness and transparency within the organization. In other words, we have entered an age where it's important to be who you are.
People of Faith Do Business With People of Faith
Let's face it, people want to do business with others they can relate to. Many people of faith prefer to do business with other people of faith because of their shared values, beliefs, and cultural understandings. It creates a sense of trust, understanding, and a shared mission or purpose. The pandemic was a time of great reflection and we see that people are even more inclined to demonstrate their beliefs with their actions and ultimately their wallets. In fact, for many in this community, they feel doing business with you is a way to support your demonstration of faith.
Trust
Many consumer studies indicate that trust is at the top of the factors in the consumer decision making tree. The majority of consumers want to do business with someone they trust. When faith is one of the core values of business there is an automatic element of trust with many consumers.
Employee Engagement
When it is understood what is at the base of your core values and you hire with those core values in mind, you have better employee engagement and job satisfaction. When your employees feel that their values align with those of your business, they are more likely to be engaged in their work and feel satisfied with their jobs.
The Joy Of This Blog
The Joy of this blog is that when your business is aligned with your personal values you are better able to drive your success. Knowing who you are and unabashedly being your authentic self will close some doors, but when done properly will open a lot more. It's all about having a plan. Plan-Focus-Win