This week I received a note from Tom (co-founder of Passle).  It was just this quote:

'Authenticity is at the heart of modern communications.'Rupert Younger, Director, Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation.

This really struck a chord with me.

The thing is that there's an awful lot of corporate nonsense that has been written - especially online.  I check out companies in the B2B space all the time and so many of them have one thing in common - they all look and sound the same.  The 'corporate speak' is so ingrained that even their unique selling points are the same!

So what is different?  What should we celebrate and show off?  For me, this is simple - it's our people, their knowledge, and their uniqueness.  The relationship we have in B2B is nearly always personal - one person working with one other person.  What is true with family and friends is true in business - trust and authenticity are key.   You do much better with it than without it and if you break it you're in trouble.

I like the 10 top tips for authentic communication in the article linked below.  They are aimed at internal communication but I think many of them can be brought into our strategies for talking externally too.

Be authentic in your communications:

1. Take responsibility 
2. Be clear
3. Listen
4. Tell the truth
5. Don't overgeneralise
6. Work with the facts
7. Build a connection
8. Be consistent
9. Create mutual understanding
10. Build your self-awareness

Be yourself, connect, show what you know and listen....