My answer, dear people, is yes. Not just because we are now all so wired into each other’s minute social movements via texts, tweets and status updates, but because we have always done business with people who we like, and trust.
Whether it makes strict business sense or not, if you take proposals from two people and one of them happens to mention that they are also a fan of your favourite sports team, or tells a joke that makes you laugh, or shares a personal experience that you can relate to, you are more likely to want to work with them than the guy who came in a did a blinding presentation without revealing an ounce of the personality that makes him tick.
So the next time you pitch for a job, let a chink of your personality shine through.
I keep a very tight roster of clients. I am pretty selective about who I work with, and I have to both like and respect them in order to continue to do my best work for them. This philosophy may not make me a millionaire, but it does makes me someone who is happy to go to work each day.
