Founded by Wall Street Journal–bestselling author and CEO Josh Turner, LinkedSelling is the world’s foremost B2B marketing and lead generation company. One of the nation’s fastest-growing companies, we’ve made the Inc. 5000 list three years running and, most recently, have been listed as one of Entrepreneur’s 360 top entrepreneurial companies in America.

At the root of our success—and the success of our clients—is something that’s glossed over by many gurus and business schools. And it’s simple:

BE HUMAN.

The modern prospect is suspicious, with a low tolerance for any salesy attitude. They do their research and ask around before making purchase decisions. This means you have to lay the groundwork before you go for the sale by building a relationship with your prospects. In other words: you have to be human.

When it comes to actually connecting with prospects and turning them into clients, don’t view lead generation as a ‘hunter’ going after the ‘hunted.’ Especially if you have high-end clients and you offer anything from $2K – $50K+, it’s essential you put the focus on building trust first.

This is based on a proven psychological principle: Human connection is as fundamental a need as food or water.

That explains why recent surveys reveal that 74% of decision-makers say they prefer to work with professional service providers who also know their colleagues, friends, or acquaintances. It’s no coincidence; this is the modern-day landscape that businesses are up against.

In order to survive, you must find a way to systematically win the trust of your prospects.

People ask us our secret and it’s this: Simplify your marketing and focus on the 20% that will bring you 80% of your results.

In other words, scrap the complex marketing mixes, tactics, and funnels. Instead, position yourself as an expert and an authority, and build trusted relationships with targeted prospects. Do this and you’ll see that people are drastically more open to hearing your message and your offers.