Your bravest decision is…well, we'll come to that in a minute ;)

I don't consider myself to be a particularly brave person.

Sure, I've left the corporate world to do my own thing. I've got up on stage in front of hundreds of people. I've stood up to a few bullying executives.

But nothing I'd consider out of the ordinary.

Until I spoke to a friend recently over a few drinks.

He'd been watching a few of the videos I've been doing and he remarked that I seemed “more comfortable in my own skin”.

In particular, he said it seemed like the “real me” on video. Not an image I was trying to project. Not some all powerful guru expert.

Just me.

Not wearing a suit and tie. Not dispensing wisdom like a professor. Just sharing what I've found.

And surprisingly enough, “just me” seems to be working.

A few years ago Huthwaite did some research into how people who sold different things were perceived by their clients.

And they found that people who sold professional services (that's you and me) were perceived as less trustworthy than those who sold products.

Less trustworthy than people who sell used cars or double glazing? Ugh.

Out of the three components of trust in their model (in their words, candour, competence and concern) the area that apparently lets us professionals down is showing concern and empathy for our clients.

So we're viewed as knowing what we're doing, and of being straight with them. But we do much, much worse than product salespeople at building that person to person relationship with our clients.

Accountants, lawyers, consultants; we're trained “to be professional”. To be objective, fact-driven and solution focused. We're conditioned into feeling we must constantly demonstrate our cleverness and expertise in order to be credible.

But all of this mitigates against showing genuine human concern for clients and their challenges.

We put on a veneer of professionalism that prevents us connecting deeply with our clients.

And so your bravest decision is to strip away that veneer.

To open up. To be you.

It's brave because it gives you nothing to hide behind. It's you out there, warts ‘n all. And not everyone is going to like you.

But for those you do click with, that relationship will be far stronger than the superficial professional to professional relationships most people have.

And that means more loyalty. More work. More fun too.