6 Easy Ways to Build Rapport
Creating a valuable first impression isn’t the only way to build and establish rapport with your clients.
Knowing how to build rapport with each and every prospect is a simple way to put your relationships into high gear and bring benefits to all parties involved. Even for the introverted types, rapport is a skill that can be learned; while some people have a natural ability to communicate and create a positive relationship with other people, others may need to practice and strategize a simple game plan to make it work! Here are some tips on building rapport:
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Make solid eye contact.
Eye contact is essential when you want to make a favorable impression, and showing sincere interest will require your full attention. Avoiding eye contact is a sign of insecurity and even deception, so it’s essential that you provide clear signals of interest throughout your interaction.
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Match your body posture to your prospect’s.
This is a subconscious habit that is very powerful when you understand how to do it. Imitating your prospect’s stance or overall posture can help them relax and feel more comfortable. Watch how a confident salesperson pulls this off next time you catch them talking with a client; take note of their body movements and gestures to see how well they parallel the person they’re talking to. Chances are, they are matching their body posture more often than not.
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Talk slowly.
The fast-talking salesman can easily talk himself out of a potential sale. While today’s fast-talking society may seem confident, slow and steady usually wins between people. Learning to speak in a casual, confident, and conversational style will help you connect with your prospect much more easily. Talking fast can put pressure on the conversation and turn off the prospect too soon.
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Learn to be a listener.
And a repeater. If you can fine-tune your listening skills to really understand what your prospect needs and wants, it will be much easier for you to offer a service, product, or suggestion that can meet that need. Repeating what your prospect is saying can further clarify what exactly it is they want, and you can lead the conversation with your offer with much more success.
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Ask questions.
Don’t be afraid to learn something as you speak with your prospect and clients; inquiring about something you don’t understand or are interested in learning more about is a great way to ‘break the ice’ in the conversation and allow the prospect to explain something to you.
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Use humor.
This goes along with #3 and your conversational style. Anyone is more likely to listen to a friend or someone who seems ‘real.’ Leave the excessive smooth talking for the TV commercial or video plugs; when you’re speaking to others in person, it’s essential to allow a natural, relaxed, and friendly personality shine through! A (respectful) joke or funny story are great ways to start a relationship on the right track.
What are some surefire tips and strategies that work for you?
One Comment
lawrence
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:00 am
building rapport can also be culture-sensitive, so it helps to know other cultures and their ways
although these 6 steps are great, each prospect is different - so you have to really read and play them well, for each case/person…depending on mood, personality, location, etc etc
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