The Influence Edge - The Truth Is Enough: A PR Guide for the Tempted

There was a song my grandmother used to sing to me when I was a little girl: “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”. The lyrics:

You got to accentuate the positive
And eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
But don’t mess with Mr. In-between.

The song has been rattling around in my head the past week while scrolling through company statements and personal business announcements. I know the purpose of LinkedIn is to share good news. But I’m not able to read any of it neutrally. I’m always wearing my strategist hat, which is grounded positioning and rationale. And honesty. Sometimes I know the company or person behind the statement well enough to know that not all of it is factually sound.

The Reputation Risk of Spin

Of course, executive comms and reputation management are smoke and mirrors, an to a point. I do it, for myself and for my clients. But when you start veering off-piste from fact, you leave yourself vulnerable. You won’t necessarily be called out, but the people who know will judge. They will also talk. And you won’t know about it, and that small, inflated fact will cost you more reputationally than you could possibly anticipate.

Let’s start with a two-letter problem. I have seen people claim to have founded a company when they co-founded it. Dropping the “co” feels harmless, but it isn’t. Anyone who knows you and the other founder will notice, and the omission becomes the story. Having a co-founder doesn’t make the achievement smaller, not at all. Building something with a partner means sharing the risk and the credit, and that deserves to be said plainly. And publicly.

Early can Cause Later Pain

Then there’s the announcement that arrives too soon. A deal is celebrated before it’s signed. A launch is shared before it’s live. The post collects likes, then reality catches up. Announcing early borrows credibility from a future that hasn’t arrived. And then what? If it never does, you have to pay it back. Not to mention the awkward conversations after the fact. Wait for the signature. The real announcement is always the stronger one.

None of this is new - this is entry-level comms management at best. What has changed is just how public and permanent it all is. A post can sit there for years, searchable by anyone deciding whether to trust you. Someone will check. Someone will remember. Here’s the irony. Most of this padding and fanfare is unnecessary. The real story, when it’s told well and honestly, is enough.

Be Intentional in Crises and in Gain

Then there are the missed opportunities. Sometimes a company shrinks. It loses a major client or has to restructure. Many companies go silent and hope nobody notices. Do the opposite. Silence leaves a vacuum, and rumour fills it faster than any press release. Own the narrative. Announce the restructure and say what it has become: a more streamlined, more intentional offering for clients. This isn’t oblique, it isn’t a lie, it’s the actual consequences of a smaller team. Be specific about what clients can expect. Tell them who now leads what and what stays the same. You don’t need to explain every reason behind the change. You do need to make sure that nothing you say can be contradicted by someone on the inside. A statement that says “refocused” after a real narrowing of focus can survive scrutiny. One that says “thriving” after losing a major client cannot. Clients remember who told them the truth early. More critically, they never forget a misleading statement.

There’s also the senior appointment that never makes the news. A new senior hire is a gift. A name, a mandate and a reason signal momentum. They tell the market that someone credible has chosen to back you and that you can afford to pay them their worth. A good announcement is short. It names the person and explains why they’re there. It also tells clients how they’ll benefit. Post it on your own channels first, then send it to every publication that will run it. Let the person speak. A personal quote about why they joined does more than any protracted corporate paragraph. Staying silent is a lost opportunity.

Stay True and Win

So, what does the honest version look like? Start with a simple test. Could someone who knows the full story read your statement and think “that tracks”? If yes, publish it. If they would wince, reconsider and rewrite. Choose precise language. A number with context beats an adjective. A named role beats a vague promise. Claim what’s true and nothing more. A co-founder is real. So is a restructure. Neither needs dressing up or a public apology.

The same goes for personal profiles. Describe your role as it was. If you led a project, say you led it. If you contributed to one, say that, and say what you contributed. A precise claim reads as confidence. A vague one invites questions. And an outright misrepresentation can be long-tailed and catastrophic. Your professional credibility is the sum of small claims that can be checked.

Which brings me back to my grandmother’s song: accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, but don’t mess with Mr. In-between. You get the gist. 

Sam Swaine is the founder of Audibly, a boutique, end-to-end podcast partner for founders, executives and brands who want their voice to operate strategically. Sam 

advises business leaders and organisations on executive communications, strategic positioning, reputation architecture and growth strategy, helping ambitious businesses align what they say with where they're going.