We no longer live in (just) a service economy. We live in an identity economy.

Are you prepared for it?

One lesson we keep coming back to with the hundreds of conversations we have is this: people buy on emotion, then justify with logic.

People don’t just want great service from you. They want connection and understanding. They want to know your story, why you do what you do.

Unfortunately, we’ve learned to abandon that. We diminish our identity and story often. We hide behind the suit, tie, and degrees.

We hide behind stiff formal language that intimidates, bores, or exhausts our clients.

Yet, the CEO, or General Counsel, or the mom & dad who are about to buy their first house want more. They already know you’re competent. They want to know how you’re different. What moves you, drives you, motivates you.

Your identity is the currency of instant trust and rapport. It is the ultimate thing that cannot be replicated by others.

Can you share your identity unabashadely? Imagine your LinkedIn, your website, your posts, your talks all honed in with that. It’s what makes marketing and sales non-sleazy.

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This article was originally published in Build your Book.