"I am imperfect in many things; nevertheless I want my brethren and kinsfolk to know my nature so that they may be able to perceive my soul's desire." ~ St. Patrick


Several years ago after delivering a sales seminar, an attendee told me he enjoyed the session, but he felt I was a bit too “animated” in my delivery of the content. He said the humorous anecdotes, video clips and interactive exercises were a bit “over the top.”

As I sat in my office the next day, preparing for my next seminar, I began thinking about what the man had said. I thought, “Maybe he was right. Maybe I should ‘tone it down’ a bit. Maybe I should be more ‘professional.’” I immediately began pulling stories, video and audio clips from my presentation and retooled my delivery.

The next week as I delivered the more “professional” and watered down version of the same presentation, something was different. The audience didn’t seem as engaged. I couldn’t connect, and as a result, they weren’t learning. Then I realized why…because that wasn’t me up there talking. In trying to be something I wasn’t, the audience couldn’t get to know me. I wasn’t having fun so they weren’t having fun. My “soul’s desire” was to help these people sell more product than at any point in their career, but they couldn’t see that because they couldn’t see “my nature.” They were seeing some guy faking somebody else’s nature. After being saved by a coffee break, I quickly gave that lame presentation the extreme makeover it needed. By injecting “me” back into it, I began having a blast again. My posture changed, the audience engaged, and we went on to have a great day.

So what’s the message? Be authentic! Be You! Don’t be what you think other people want you to be. Are there imperfections in being YOU? Absolutely! But who cares? Because by giving everybody around you more access to those imperfections, you will also give them access to the “perfections” that make you so amazing.

Brian Sullivan is author of the book, “20 Days to the Top-How the PRECISE Selling Formula Will Make You Your Company’s Top Sales Performer in 20 Days or Less.” To learn more or to share your business thoughts. go to the www.preciseselling.com message board.