What are the best ways to build rapport with prospects across different industries?

Be more compliance driven and try to gel the conversation around the plan of what else is the prospect looking to get. This helps you get inline with the vision of the organization.

Muy acertada los aspectos. Es importante informarles, darles a conocer el valor agregado que le vamos a proporcionar en la relación. Hará más atractiva y generaría mejor conexión y enlace...

Oftentimes a bad assumption is worse than a simple question. Realistically speaking, there will be times when you as a Sales Engineer don't necessarily know much regarding a certain industry. When you do a little bit of research and then ask educated questions to your customer about the specifics of their industry, you learn straight from the horse's mouth. Not only does this ensure you get accurate information, but it also shows your customer that you're interested and engaged in learning more about what they do. That's huge for 2 reasons. Number 1, you get accurate information. Number 2, you build a good relationship with your customer. Of course, it depends which stage you're having the conversation in as well.

This is a tricky one because Buyers are increasingly suspicious of Buying from Tech suppliers who don't understand their industry or domain. For an SE, learning some industry language helps but you'll get caught out very quickly if you're talking to a Buyer who's a process owner or operational specialist. Hence the attraction in hiring SEs from the industry, they're hyper-credible, can talk as equals with Buyers and, as long as they're good communicators, you only need to teach them the Tech (should be easy) and some Sales/Buyer Enablement skills. By the way, ChatGPT/Bard excels at helping with industry specifics, just try a simple prompt like this... 'give me 5 topics the CEO at AstraZeneca cares about and two KPIs per topic'.

Different industries do indeed have different cultures and language. But they could vary again within the regions, middle east vs northern Europe, North African vs South Africa for instance. So be careful to do your research in each specific region against the industry and don’t assume one size will fit all. Then adjust your language accordingly.

Mastering just the right amount of industry jargon (doesn’t have to be everything because we don’t need to be an expert in every industry) is crucial for sales engineers, as it bridges the communication gap and builds trust. Using familiar terms shows you understand their specific challenges, allowing you to tailor your solutions and value propositions to their unique needs. This fosters a sense of shared expertise, making them more receptive to your insights and ultimately, more likely to convert.

Almost all the businesses has one common goal i.e. protect business and grow it. It's necessary to demonstrate that the product the prospect wants to get is business enabler rather than just addition of assets in infra.

Govt regulations and compliance plays important role hence I believe the story should start with a major compliance requirement and then explain how the industry of the prospects can lead by example. Nothing excites a client more than setting new benchmarks or sovereign approach in the industry.

This conversation can only start if the prospects shows the inclination towards the topic. If you do not know much about the topic it's best politely agree mildly and see if the topic can lead to any common hobby but do not drag it for long. Not all of us follow Dale Carneigie principles thoroughly.

I personally have seen the value that can be added if we put the business interests of the prospects ahead of my own interests. This advisory pitch builds the longest relationship with the clients and make sure they come back to you for further suggestions.

Apply the 25-25-50 rule for balanced insights: 25% own technical capabilities, technical competences - generalist perspective 25 % own team, key people, culture 50% customer successes with our technologies, joint successes (win-win), customer interaction with us Many technical companies tend to prioritise their technical capabilities. Interpersonal aspects score points, especially when selling technical solutions. The 25-25-50 rule helps with the mix of added value and insights.

Unless you are working for a very industry specific solution quite often, as SEs, we are generalists. We should research the industry but also recognise that we would never be as knowledgable as our customers who live and breath their world every day. Instead it is important to explain that the discovery process is where we learn about the uniqueness of the customer within their industry. They bring their expertise, the experience in their industry and you bring your expertise and experience in your solution. Together, you would be able to help customers achieve their desired requirements and outcomes with your solution.

I have found that bringing relevant and specific knowledge with clarity & examples about how your solution and ideas will create new value in short periods of time, opens the door. However, once that door opens it’s really important to build trust and confidence by nurturing the relationship. This is typically a blend of business “talk” and taking genuine interest in the person as well as their goals & objectives, so you are seen as an enabler, participant and partner to success.