How do you build trust and rapport with your customers during the discovery process?

1 Start with empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It is essential for building trust and rapport with your customers, because it shows that you care about them and their situation. To start with empathy, you need to do some research on your customers, their goals, their challenges, their motivations, and their context. You can use various methods, such as surveys, interviews, observation, or personas, to gather this information. Then, you need to use this information to craft your communication style, your questions, and your tone, so that you can connect with your customers on an emotional level.

2 Be transparent and respectful

Transparency and respect are two key elements of trust and rapport. You need to be transparent about your intentions, your goals, and your process, so that your customers know what to expect from you and why you are asking for their feedback. You also need to respect their time, their privacy, and their opinions, so that they feel valued and appreciated. To be transparent and respectful, you need to explain the purpose and the scope of the discovery process, set clear expectations and boundaries, ask for consent and permission, and acknowledge and thank your customers for their participation.

3 Listen actively and ask open-ended questions

Listening actively and asking open-ended questions are two skills that can help you elicit deeper and richer insights from your customers. Listening actively means paying attention to what your customers are saying, how they are saying it, and what they are not saying. It also means reflecting back what you heard, summarizing the key points, and clarifying any doubts or confusion. Asking open-ended questions means avoiding yes or no answers, and instead encouraging your customers to elaborate, explain, or give examples. It also means following up on interesting or surprising responses, and probing for underlying reasons or emotions.

4 Show curiosity and enthusiasm

Curiosity and enthusiasm are two attitudes that can help you create a positive and engaging atmosphere with your customers. Curiosity means showing genuine interest in your customers' stories, experiences, and perspectives. It also means being open-minded and willing to learn from them, rather than imposing your own assumptions or solutions. Enthusiasm means showing passion and excitement about your product idea, your vision, and your value proposition. It also means expressing gratitude and appreciation for your customers' feedback, and highlighting how it can help you improve your product.

5 Validate and follow up

Validation and follow-up are two actions that can help you reinforce trust and rapport with your customers, and keep them engaged throughout the discovery process. Validation means acknowledging and affirming your customers' feedback, and showing how it aligns with or challenges your assumptions. It also means sharing your insights, findings, and hypotheses with your customers, and inviting them to comment or contribute. Follow-up means keeping in touch with your customers, and updating them on your progress, your next steps, and your outcomes. It also means asking for additional feedback, input, or referrals, and offering incentives or rewards for their continued involvement.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?