People Buy from People They Like

We believe that this old adage is for the most part true, but not quite so simple. Really, is anything ever that simple? The more I thought about this saying, the more I realized that it fits quite nicely with what we teach to small businesses.

• Companies don’t make buying decisions, people (plural) make buying decisions.
• People like when you’ve done your homework, when you know something about their business.
• People like when you value a face to face conversation with them.
• People like knowing YOU as an individual and your personal values/ethics.
• People like understanding how a future relationship would be mutually beneficial.
• People like when it’s about them, not just about you.
• People like when you continually value them and serve them as a client, not just a prospect.

So, yes, if you demonstrate all of these things, these “people” you’re selling to will like you and hopefully buy from you. This is all very similar to a recent post by our good friend, Chris Conrey. He wrote “A Manifesto for Post Modern Sales.” I highly recommend you read it several times.

I also just recently came upon this quote that applies to this conversation:

“We need people in our lives with whom we can be as open as possible. To have real conversation with people may seem like such a simple, obvious suggestion, but it involves courage and risk.” –Thomas Moore

Really, trust is at the core of all this “liking.” How can anyone like you if they don’t first trust you? We talk a lot about overcoming a buyer’s fears in complex B2B sales. Only after you overcome a buyer’s fears can you sell on your advantages as a small company. The same is true on a more personal level. Only when you can demonstrate through your actions that you are to be trusted, can someone begin to value you and your relationship. For more on creating that comfort zone, please check out a recent post by Dave Cooke called, “The Pleasant Comfort of Trust.”

I also agree with Thomas Moore that it does involve courage and risk to be vulnerable and real with your prospects. Human beings absolutely can sense and will respond positively to this kind of open dialogue.  What are you doing to have these kinds of conversations? What advice do you have for building trust and becoming more well liked? We’d love to hear from you! Share your comments below.