AUTHENTICITY? Hmmm, WHY DOES IT MATTER?

When I first started in sales, I believed success depended on how polished I sounded, and looked. I thought credibility came from having the right pitch, the right slide deck, and the right posture. I spent hours rehearsing what to say, what to wear, and how to present myself as confident and capable. I always dressed the part, and even my “now “ wife never saw me in jeans, a hoodie, a t-shirt or anything that was not at least “business casual”. That was because I was conditioned. It was not until nearly a year into our relationship that my partner saw me in jeans (she actually chuckled the first time she saw it), that I eventually learned that the “act as if” method of living doesn’t work. That is that people do not build a relationship with or buy polish or any alternative version of you. They buy belief. They buy trust. They buy the authentic version of you.

In both sales and leadership, authenticity is not just a nice to have, it is the foundation for everything that works. The more time I have spent leading teams and building client relationships, the more I have seen how being real, genuinely real, creates outcomes that no script or strategy can replicate.

Sales, at its core, is about trust. Clients make decisions not just based on price or features, but on confidence. Confidence that you understand their world, that you will deliver on your word, and that you will still be there when things get complicated. That kind of trust cannot be faked, nor replicated. It is earned through authenticity.

Authenticity shows up in simple ways, admitting when you may not know something, being honest about limitations, or saying “no” to a deal that does not fit your client’s needs. Each of those moments, when we choose transparency over convenience, this creates long term credibility. A credibility that compounds. A credibility that clients trust.

Clients remember when you were honest. They remember when you took the time to listen, instead of selling. 

How many times have you been in a situation where you felt like you have built trust? Or found that you missed the boat?

Have you invested the time in that relationship? We are all in a competitive business, but have you, or your team really invested in the relationship to continue the foundations that build and capitalize on this trust?

 A client will always follow you if you have built that trust. This is fundamental to relationships. A web of trust. 

In a world overflowing with automation and AI generated messaging, being genuinely human has become a differentiator. The truth is, authenticity scales better than any technology ever will. Because people trust people, not brands, not AI. People.

Leadership and the Human Factor

The same principle applies to leadership. Titles can open doors, but authenticity keeps them open. A team does not follow a job title, they follow a person they trust, respect, and believe in.

When leaders try too hard to project perfection, they create distance. But, ultimately, we ask what is perfection? 

Leadership is not about always being right, it is certainly not about perfection, but what it is, at the very least I have found, is that it is about always being real. The people you lead do not expect you to have every answer. They expect you to care enough to tell them the truth, to listen, and to lead with integrity and vulnerability. 

The Courage to Be Vulnerable

There’s a quiet courage in being vulnerable, especially in professional settings where “strength” is often confused with certainty. True strength lies in the willingness to be seen, fully, honestly, and without pretense. Vulnerability doesn’t mean oversharing or abandoning professionalism; it means letting others see the person behind the position.

When you admit you’re nervous before a major pitch, or when you tell your team you’re unsure how a project will unfold but you’re committed to figuring it out together, you invite authenticity from others. You give permission for honesty. That’s when real collaboration starts.

I’ve watched too many talented professionals wear masks, convinced that showing emotion or uncertainty will make them seem weak. The irony is that it makes them unrelatable. Authenticity, on the other hand, draws people in. It builds emotional credibility, the kind that inspires loyalty long after a deal is signed or a project ends.

Authenticity as a Business Strategy

Being real is not just the right thing to do, it’s good business. Clients can tell when someone’s chasing a quota instead of solving a problem. They can tell when enthusiasm is forced or when a “relationship” is transactional. But when you approach every interaction with genuine curiosity and respect, you create value that goes beyond the immediate sale.

The best salespeople aren’t performers, they’re connectors. They know that listening with intent is more persuasive than any pitch. They build relationships that last because those relationships are grounded in truth. Authenticity leads to repeat business, referrals, and reputational equity, the invisible assets that drive long-term growth.

In leadership, authenticity is the same catalyst. Teams that feel seen and heard perform better. People stay longer when they trust their leaders. They innovate more freely when they believe their voices matter. Culture isn’t built in memos, it’s built in moments of honesty, empathy, and follow through.

Living It Every Day

Authenticity isn’t a tactic, it’s a discipline. It requires daily practice, checking your motives, aligning your words with your values, and choosing honesty even when it’s uncomfortable. We need to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. It also means showing up as the same person in every room, whether you’re speaking to a client, a team member, or a CEO.

Some days that’s easy. Other days it takes courage. But every time you choose to be real, you strengthen something essential, your integrity.

I’ve learned that leadership and sales are both acts of service. You’re there to help others make decisions, solve problems, and move forward. The more human you are, the more powerful that service becomes.

At the end of the day, people don’t remember your title or your presentation, they remember how you made them feel. They remember whether they trusted you, whether you listened, and whether you kept your word.

So, be real. Speak truthfully. Lead with empathy. Sell with integrity. Be predictable. Let your authenticity be the through-line that connects everything you do. Because when you show up as yourself - unfiltered, grounded, and human - you give others permission to do the same.

And that’s where real connection begins. That’s where leadership lives.

In the end, being yourself, whether that’s in a suit or in jeans and a hoodie. It will take you farther than any script. Show up as who you are, live in that truth, and build relationships that genuinely matter.