Rarely can a middle-aged frumpy, frizzy haired woman have provoked so much  discussion over appearance as Susan Boyle, already world famous after one time on Britain’s Got Talent.  Is weird-looking the new black?

Well, it maybe for the authentic Susan, although there is already concern over her  new hairdo, and she has prompted comment from no less an authentic than Alastair Cambell, ” If there is a lesson from her success for politicians it is authenticity.  It is the only communication that works”.  This from the man who schooled the actor Blair.

Brown tries hard, very hard, for authenticity.  Sadly for him this is the age of television, not radio, and looks are all. As Catherine Bennett said in The Observer: “Nowadays the public is so rarely confronted with public figures who are not fluent, good looking or, failing that, young that even for a politician, any substantial divergence from TV presenting standards is a career liablity.”

Fortunately, for the majority of us, business pitches are not conducted on television so film star looks are not essential.  Authenticity, however, is. 

 Can I spend time with these people?  This is the question that, consciously or unconsciously, will drive the decision to appoint,  and this is where rehearsal comes in.   Without it genuine people, unsure of themselves or their role, are inhibited or try to hard and lose their naturalness.  With rehearsal confidence flows and authenticity is a given.