The Importance of Personal Connections in Sales

I have learned many valuable lessons throughout my career. One of the most important among those was about the importance of personal connections in the sales process. A decade ago, I was struggling with a B2B HR SaaS prospect, and I couldn’t seem to close the deal. I reached out to my sales mentor, and he told me that people do business with people, and that passion and excitement can’t be communicated through emails or Zoom calls.

He advised me to pick up the phone and call the prospect, and to even go and meet them in person if possible. At first, I was hesitant and nervous, but I took his advice and called the prospect, and ultimately met them in person to close the deal. It was uncomfortable at first, but it changed everything for me.

Since then, I’ve learned that it’s important to show up for your clients and to deliver value in person. It’s easy to hide behind a screen and become a keyboard warrior, but the real magic happens when you show up and show your clients that you are invested in their success.

As Tim Ferriss, the famous author and entrepreneur, once said, “In a world where nobody meets anybody face to face anymore, it’s the most important skill you can have to be able to do so.” This rings true in the startup world, where personal connections and relationships can make all the difference in closing a deal or securing funding.