Master the art of rapport-building with these simple habits

Master the art of rapport building and close more deals with these simple habits. Use them to build trust, show empathy and grow relationships with your customers.

• Habit #1 Labelling

Labelling is showing sympathy and you’ve accurately labelled their emotion. You will get a rich response AND make buyers feel understood.

This becomes a powerful combo.

• How to do it:?

When you notice your buyer express an emotion. e.g. Your price is very high or Your team size is very small

label that emotion by completing one of these sentences:?

“It seems like you ____________”?

“It sounds like you ____________”?

“It looks like you ____________”

• Habit #2 Use Pronouns Tactically

Using “We” in your pitch or conversation helps you build credibility in the mind of your prospect. But using “I” creates magic for rapport building.

• How to do it:?

Back your claims with “we”

Humanise yourself and cue buyers to let their guard down with “I”

• Habit #3 Always make it about them

If your buyer can self-identify the problem your product addresses nothing like it. If your story describes their problem better than they could describe it themselves they will automatically assume you have the best solution.

• Habit#4 Make Eye contact

If you are meeting in person, have a firm handshake and make eye contact. It is the quickest way to build greater rapport. When meeting online, look at the webcam and not at your screen. This will create a psychological impression that you are engaged and paying close attention.

• Habit#5 Follow up individually

Apart from adding a personal touch to email, follow up a single thread with meeting attendees and prospects. Make it more personalised, highlights their points, provide reference materials and if needed provide social proof.

• How to do it:?

Move the follow-up to 1 new thread per participant. Use their name in the subject line. Personalise mail messages and highlight parts of the email that pertain specifically to them.

• Habit#6 Take permission before addressing an object

Before responding to an objection, first, clarify the objection and once you understand very well, get your buyer’s permission to introduce a new way of thinking. With this, it neutralises your buyer’s mind and makes them receptive to a new way of thinking.

• How to do it:?

Don’t ask questions like “Can I make a suggestion?”, it triggers defensiveness.

Ask very simple questions like “Can I bounce a few thoughts off you?”

• Habit#7 Use the words that sell

Don’t use simple and very general words during your sales conversations…

Use words that sell…

I will be sharing the list of words that sell in my next week's newsletter…

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Umesh Khadela