Someone recently reached out after listening to my podcast with Joel Harrison

Link here

They wanted my opinion on their new company launch

In that episode, Joel and I discussed trust in sales today and this conversation brought the topic right back into focus

Here’s the reality: in the modern digital world, anyone can build a website and call themselves an expert

Thousands of people do it every day

But that’s not the real problem

The real issue is that, in their quest to be “on brand,” most companies have become completely bland

They sound the same, they look the same, and they make the same promises

Just look at the ERP or CRM markets

Every vendor says virtually the same thing

Their messaging, tone, and imagery are indistinguishable

Let's not forget,  your buyers aren’t experts

They can’t tell the difference between one supplier and another

The list of “unique selling points” your marketing team proudly promotes?

Most aren’t unique at all

One person pitched me their USP recently, something I had already seen done 14 years ago at Oracle

That’s how little has changed

As companies and products merge into one big undifferentiated mass, we’ve entered what I call a zero-trust environment

To make matters worse, salespeople on social media often do the same thing

They post the same content, use the same phrases, and shout the same message: “Buy my product because we’re great.”

It’s noise

And it’s destroying trust before the first conversation even begins

So here’s the challenge:

Does your business truly stand out?

Do your people sound human, different, and trustworthy?

Or have you become just another echo in an already crowded market?

Conclusion:
In an age where anyone can claim expertise, trust is your real differentiator

Being “on brand” isn’t enough, you need to be authentic, distinct, and human

The companies and individuals who dare to sound different will be the ones who are remembered and, more importantly, the ones who are trusted