People Want to Do Business with People

You’ve probably heard the line a hundred times: “People do business with people they know, like, and trust.” It gets tossed around at networking events, in sales trainings, and on LinkedIn posts. Sometimes it feels like one of those motivational clichés that sounds nice but doesn’t hold up when you’re actually trying to pay rent.

Except… it kinda does. Not in the fluffy, everything-else-being-equal way people usually mean it. But in the real, messy, human way that still matters even when algorithms, price comparisons, and one-click buying exist.

Think about the last time you chose a contractor, a realtor, a financial advisor, or even a local coffee shop over a chain. Sure, sometimes it’s purely about convenience or the lowest bid. But more often than you’d admit, there’s a person in the mix who made you feel seen, heard, or at least not like just another transaction.

I recall switching accountants a few years back. The old one was fine; numbers were spot-on, emails came quickly. But every conversation felt like I was talking to a spreadsheet with legs. The new guy? He remembered I’d mentioned that long weekend trip upstate I was excited about. Next time we talked, the first thing out of his mouth was, “Hey, how was the cabin? Did you actually unplug for once?” Nothing rehearsed or pushy. Just human. And yeah, I stuck around even after his fees went up a little. Why? Because working with him didn’t leave me feeling like another line item on someone’s to-do list.

That’s the thing. In a world drowning in options, the default is overwhelm. People don’t want to research twenty vendors for hours. They want someone who makes the decision feel safe and straightforward. And safety usually comes wrapped in familiarity.

It’s not always about being everyone’s best friend. Some of the most successful people I know aren’t the warmest personalities in the room. They’re just consistent, straightforward, and genuinely interested in solving the other person’s problem. They show up the same way every time. They follow through. They don’t ghost after the sale. Over months or years, that reliability turns into trust. Trust turns into repeat business. Repeat business turns into referrals without begging for them.

The flip side is brutal. You can have the best product, sharpest pitch, slickest website and still lose out because the other side didn’t feel any connection. I’ve watched deals die because someone came across as too pushy, too robotic, or just indifferent. The prospect didn’t hate them; they just didn’t care enough to choose them over the person who remembered their birthday or asked real follow-up questions.

And here’s where it gets interesting lately. Even with AI chatbots, automated emails, and virtual meetings everywhere, the human element hasn’t disappeared; it’s become more noticeable by contrast. When everything feels impersonal, the person who picks up the phone, remembers context from last month’s call, or sends a quick “saw this and thought of you” message stands out like crazy. It’s not about being fake-nice. It’s about showing you’re paying attention.

Does this mean you should try to become everyone’s buddy? No. That’s exhausting and usually backfires. It does mean treating people like actual humans, not just leads in a CRM. Ask questions you actually want the answer to. Listen more than you talk. Admit when you don’t know something. Deliver what you promise, even when it’s inconvenient.

Because at the end of the day, business isn’t between companies or apps or brands. It’s between people who are trying to solve problems, make money, reduce stress, or build something better. The ones who remember that without turning it into a cheesy slogan tend to do pretty well.

So next time you’re wondering why one deal closed and another didn’t, skip the postmortem on pricing or features for a second. Ask yourself: Did they feel like I was on their side? Did they feel like a person to me?

Usually, that’s where the real answer lives.