Let’s not dance around it.
If we hear one more post starting with “A client said to me yesterday…”, we might collectively implode.
There was a time when quoting clients meant something. It implied experience, real-life interaction, and grounded wisdom. Today? It’s code for: “I’m making this up because I want to sound relevant.”
What used to be a sign of proximity has become a sign of posturing.
The Ritual of Fake Intimacy
It always starts the same:
“I was speaking with a client yesterday…”
“Today, a customer shared something really touching with me…”
“Just got off a call with a coaching client, and here’s what they said…”
Except they didn’t.
These aren’t real conversations. They’re fictionalised credibility grenades, designed to explode into likes, comments, and that sweet dopamine-driven engagement. The actual conversation? Never happened. The client? Doesn’t exist. The insight? Fabricated for applause.
This isn’t just annoying.
It’s intellectually insulting.
Thought Leadership as Theatre
Let’s be honest: we’ve turned LinkedIn into Broadway.
Everyone’s playing a role.
There’s the Empathic Coach, the Visionary CEO, the Humble Leader Learning from Their Team, the Enlightened Consultant Who Learned a Life Lesson from a Barista.
The script is always the same:
1. Invent a scene.
2. Insert a “client” to make it relatable.
3. Extract a moral.
4. Cash in on engagement.
It’s not thought leadership.
It’s performative storytelling dressed as human insight.
What Are You Actually Trying to Prove?
You want to prove you’re working.
That you’re successful.
That people trust you.
That you’re relevant.
That you’re in demand.
That you’re in motion.
But here’s the problem:
The moment you feel the need to fabricate a client quote to demonstrate your value, you’ve already lost it.
Authority doesn’t come from echoing a ghost client.
It comes from what you say when nobody’s looking.
The Real Damage: Erosion of Trust Culture
You think it’s harmless. A little embellishment. A bit of narrative spice.
But it’s not. It’s corrosive.
When everyone starts faking credibility, the entire trust economy collapses.
We become numb to real stories. We question authentic experiences.
We reduce business dialogue to theatre.
And we reward those who act best, not those who think best.
This isn’t communication. It’s mimicry.
This isn’t leadership. It’s low-budget dramaturgy.
Stop Selling Conversations You Didn’t Have
You don’t need to quote fictional clients.
You don’t need to frame your ideas in imaginary dialogues.
You don’t need to hide behind pseudo-humanisation to make a point.
If your insight is powerful, let it stand on its own.
If your thinking is sharp, let it speak without the crutch of pretence.
If your experience is real, you won’t need to dress it in fairy-tale packaging.
You are not a better expert because a “client said something deep”.
You are a better expert when you say something deep without needing a puppet.
Rethink Your Authority Signal
We live in a world where perception is currency.
But if everyone is buying and selling lies, your perceived credibility is built on sand.
Want real authority?
Don’t simulate conversations.
Don’t manufacture intimacy.
Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.
Start here:
- Tell us what you think – not what someone allegedly whispered to you.
- Share your actual struggle – not a polished narrative with a perfect learning curve.
- Express doubt, not perfection.
- Offer questions, not platitudes.
If You Have Clients – Respect Them
If you actually have clients, maybe don’t turn every one of them into content fodder.
Maybe their stories belong to them.
Maybe their vulnerability deserves more than being reduced to a cheap storytelling device for your next post.
Maybe we should stop exploiting relationships to boost our brand equity.
Client trust isn’t a PR campaign.
It’s a responsibility.
Treat it like one.
This Is Not Just About Style. It’s About Thinking.
Rethinking starts here:
Stop believing that content equals credibility.
Stop believing that fake stories make you human.
Stop believing that performative dialogue makes your argument stronger.
Your thinking is enough – if you dare to think for real.
Your expertise is enough – if you stop hiding it behind clichés.
Your presence is enough – if you show up as yourself, not your content persona.
Final Thought – Or Warning
The next time you feel the urge to start a post with
“Yesterday, a client said to me…”
Pause.
Ask yourself:
Am I communicating – or just performing?
Am I thinking – or just mimicking?
Am I leading – or just rehearsing a role?
Because if the answer is the latter,
then you’re not helping your audience think.
You’re helping them sleep.
And that’s the last thing we need in a world already overdosed on noise and starving for clarity.
Rethink or vanish. Your choice.
R2049 