HBR completed a study that completely validates what I've been saying for years...

They interviewed hundreds of technology buyers and asked them a simple question:

Did you trust the salesperson you just bought from?

Only 18% said yes, they would classify them as "trusted advisors whom they respect."

Let that sink in. Less than one in five buyers actually trusted the person they gave their money to.

And these were the successful deals...

For over a century, the entire sales training industry has been built on a single, shaky foundation:

"People buy from people they know, like, and trust."

It's funny that those pushing trust always have something to sell (usually about how to sell with trust).

We've been taught to mirror body language.

To find common ground...
To ask about the weather...
To feign interest in their kids...

All before pitching the product.

We've been told that if we just build enough "rapport," the sale will naturally follow.

It's a lie.

Worse, it's manipulation.

When you rely on likability to bypass or "handle" objections, you aren't solving a problem. You're just trying to win a battle of wills.

Buyers aren't stupid. They sense the manipulation, and their defenses go up.

That's why 43% of buyers claimed to make defensive decisions—like "I need to think about it" or "let me check with my partner"—more than 70% of the time. They are protecting themselves...from you.

Another HBR study looked at elite sellers versus the bottom performers.

• 89% of the top salespeople said they do NOT need to be liked.

• 86% of the worst salespeople believed they DO need to be liked.

Which group are you in?

Which group do you want to be in?

Look, your buyers don't need a new friend. They have friends. What they need is a solution to their problem. They need an expert. They need authority.

Stop trying to get people to believe you.
Stop trying to get people to like you.

Start dealing in proof. Show, don't tell. Use evidence.

Be radically transparent about your pricing, your product's limitations, and your own motives.

When you shift from persuasion to proof, you stop being a salesperson they have to defend against.

You become the credible expert they actually want to buy from.

Stop chasing trust and start building authority.

You'll sell A LOT more 'stuff'.