I grew up professionally in a world where knowing stuff was paramount (IT consulting) and I continue to live in a world where the same is true (professional services).

It’s not new to any of us that decision-making—others’ or our own—isn’t the rational, logical process we all so desperately wish. “People buy with their hearts and rationalize with their heads” is an age-old sales adage.

I owe this tip to my co-author, Charlie Green, and the great thinking he’s done on how buyers actually buy professional services.

I was searching through unfinished blogs the other day and found one to share with you. It’s about how attempts to be helpful can backfire in a big way.

It’s not unusual for a conversation about authenticity to come up in our workshops on trusted advisorship and trust-based selling—in the face of encouragement to be real, questions arise like, “How much is too much?” “Can I really be myself? Should I?