Would you buy from you? Many people struggle with this question only to find that their best response is a “maybe” or the noncommittal “it depends.” Huh?

If you would not buy from you, why would anyone else buy from you? We live in a world that is overloaded with more information that can be consumed. We are stimulated by multimedia every waking minute. So, what do we do? We buy from people who are like us, who we understand. We buy from those who are distinctive and unique and provide true value. In short, we buy from those we trust. The real question then becomes: Are you trustworthy? Before going any further, here are three things to consider. Let’s think of these items with the acronym “CUB”.

C is for Constantly Connected;

U is for an Under the Iceberg Mindset;

B is for your Brand.

1. Constantly Connected

Do you say or hear another person say something like this? I am drowned, I am slammed, I am buried, I am swamped, I am running ragged. You get the idea. These type expressions are often heard in our rapidly moving world. Many live life like a piece of paper with “no margin” or a car that is “revving its engine” to the max. My question is simple. How much is too much? Our attention span was already limited and now it is almost nonexistent. So, as we consider “would you buy from you” we must remember the fast paced world we live in. Technology and content change at a rapid speed and only the best information gets and keeps our attention.

2. Under the Iceberg

We must understand the other person on a deeper level, or what an “under the iceberg” mindset. Do we understand their truth? Their worldview? Their why? Think about it. Nearly 90 percent of an iceberg is below the surface of the water and yet we zoom in on the visible part, a whopping 10 percent. You may claim to understand another person, but have you completely listened to them? This must happen in order to uncover the root values that drive each decision that person makes. Ask great questions to get beyond the “how” and “what” and below the surface to the “why.” Many people are good at “somewhat listening” and nodding accordingly to show the other party we are paying attention. Unfortunately, this is still “how and what” communication. Unless we can completely understand another person, whether we agree with them or not, we will not have effective communications. A “why” level understanding of another person occurs when we articulate what they are saying back to them and they say “yes that is correct.” When we are able to truly communicate with others at the deepest level, we began to be effective.

3. Your BRAND Makes the Difference

When a person does business with you, he or she is ultimately buying your brand, so what you do with that brand is important. Your brand is another way to gain trust from potential customers. After all, your brand is not what you say it is, but what others say it is. In branding, perception to one person is reality to another. Here is how I define the word “brand”:

• B = Baseline: The starting point used for comparison.
• R = Reputation: Everything we know or have learned about someone.
• A = Attributes: The adjectives and characteristics that we use to define a person.
• N = Name: Brings to mind positive, neutral or negative thoughts about a person.
• D = Distinctiveness: Describes the ways someone is different, unique and creative.

The value you provide is what your brand is about. It is directly related to the value that others perceive when making a buying decision. Price alone doesn’t lead to value. Remember to include your company’s offerings and, most importantly, you. Yes, you and your brand. You are selling “you” in every encounter in life, and that correlates with your brand and how others make their decisions.

4) Putting it all together= THE PACT

In order to answer the question of “would you buy from you?” The short answer is a seller and buyer must develop a PACT (P = Passion; A = Authenticity; C = Creativity; T = Trust). Merriam Webster defines pact as “a formal agreement between two people or groups.” We want to focus on the word “agreement.”

A person buys from another person when they feel authentic passion fueled with creativity that is built on trust. If trust is what must occur in this process, it is built upon some of these key criteria. When a person has tremendous passion they have energy, dedication and enthusiasm in all that they do. When a person is authentic, they are consistent in behavior no matter the circumstances. Moreover, they are real and focus on ethics and integrity. And when a person is creative, they approach life in a different and unique manner. They operate with an “as if” mindset. This means they operate “as if” this could be done or why can’t this be done? They find a way and never settle for less than the best.

Thus, the answer to “would you buy from you” is simple. We must first find creative, compelling and consistent information to share with another person. Again, they live in a “constantly connected” world. Next, we must work hard to determine the other party’s “why,” and under-the-iceberg mindset so we can truly understand how they feel and what they want. From there, we must remember the distinct value in our brand. It is our DNA. People can copy your ideas but they cannot replicate you. Finally, develop a PACT with the other party built on complete trust. Thus, the question changes to: “How could you not buy from you?”

Ryan T. Sauers is President/Owner of Sauers Consulting Strategies. The firm consults with the front end of a variety of profit and nonprofit organizations across North America. The areas of focus are: sales growth, brand positioning, organizational strategy, and integrated marketing (emphasis on social media). Ryan speaks at many national events and writes feature articles in global publications. His globally blog is on the PI world website is titled Perception IS Reality and his international blog on the Print and Promo website is titled Leaders Look Up. Sauers is an adjunct university professor teaching leadership, marketing and entrepreneurship. Sauers also owns two large community magazines in Atlanta, GA. Ryan is a Certified Myers Briggs and DiSC Practitioner as well as a Certified Marketing Executive. Sauers is author of the best-selling book Everyone is in Sales, (endorsed by global business celebrity Jeffrey Hayzlett and its foreword written by Mark W. Schaefer among others), and his newest book Would You Buy from You? was published in April 2015 and endorsed by best-selling authors and global thought leaders such as: Jay Baer, Glen Gilmore, Kim Garst, Ted Rubin and Erik Qualman. More info at: RyanSauers.com