Rapport Building is Tough, but Enough!

In the digital age, more communication and personal interaction are expected than ever before.

However, creating rapport with clients in this digital age is more difficult than ever before. People find your organization through a multitude of channels and platforms, and they want high customization. It's difficult, but it's not impossible.

In this Newsletter, we'll show you how to create relationships with clients at each stage of the customer lifecycle, step by step. But first, before we get into how rapport development operates, we'll address the frequently asked topic, "What exactly is rapport?"

Building rapport necessitates the effective application of social skills such as eye contact, sharing, cooperation, and listening. Listing some tips on how to quickly build rapport in your living and working environments.

To have meaningful discussions, you must first learn more about the person with whom you are conversing. Learn everything you can about the person, such as their interests, likes, hobbies, and background.

Good information sources include:

1. Their online presence
2. Their LinkedIn profile?
3. A simple Google search

Giving your whole-hearted attention to the person with whom you are communicating is what active listening requires. It is an essential communication skill since it promotes openness and honesty.

What Happens when you're Actively Listening?

1. You're listening to understand rather than merely responding
2. It demonstrates that you are interested in what they have to say & hence builds a safe space for them to open up
3. The more actively you listen, the more likely the other person is to share more
4. You talk more sense because you pause to respond & are not in a rush to speak

Mirroring and matching are ways for becoming more like the other person. Here are some strategies to consider:

1. Examine the other person's body language, such as posture and expression, and try to mimic what they're doing.
2. Use a language that is comparable to your own. If they are employing technical terminology, it is a good idea to mimic it.
3. Match the tone and speed of the other person's speech patterns. If they are speaking at a slow pace, soften your voice so that you are both speaking at the same pace.

Another suggestion for creating rapport is to be kind and approachable (EMPATHY) when conversing with the other person. The easiest method to accomplish this is to smile frequently. Smiling conveys openness and aids in the development of connection with the other person.

Another suggestion is to maintain eye contact. It demonstrates that you are paying attention and are aware of what the other party is saying. Be willing to share and receive information. However, don't try to push the sensation - you'll come across as too forceful and will likely reject the person.

Find a happy medium in terms of the amount of information you provide about yourself. Don't discuss personal relationships, such as dating history, in a formal atmosphere; it's a conversational faux pas.

Asking questions is one of the most effective methods to demonstrate that you are paying attention and are invested in the conversation. Asking follow-up questions during a conversation shows that you are truly interested in understanding the other person's point of view.

The MEAT: Here's How Your FLOW should look like:

Some consumers will find you by word of mouth, while others will find you through an online search.

A good initial touchpoint that leads them from the virtual world into your sales funnel, regardless of how they reach you is critical here.

This entails-

1. Scheduling a preliminary conversation between them and a member of your company development team to obtain the fundamentals.
2. Calling them within the first 24 hours of first contact to get a clearer idea of what they require from you.
3. Providing your team member(s) with a list of 8-10 questions to learn more about the client's needs and desires.

These inquiries may include:

1. Budget
2. Future needs
3. Preferences
4. Dependencies and More

1. Call exactly as the pre-decided time & date. Punctuality plays its role well!
2. Have notes from the first call handy along witha list of potential solutions to directly appeal to the customer. Today's consumers expect this degree of customization.
3. Everyone is tired of the automatic, robotic discussions that are so common with modern technology. You may distinguish yourself by committing to personalization and developing rapport.
4. Between the two calls, demonstrate to the consumer that you've done your homework and guide them to the next level, where they can begin to see the fruits of your labor pay off.

The objective is that they develop some appreciation for how hard your team has worked for their cause.

If they find this tedious and time-consuming, read the room and modify accordingly.

Following your initial meeting, your follow-up will be determined by how the customer responds. If they decide to join, that's fantastic. If not, you should stay in touch with them in order to possibly provide them new ideas and solutions to examine.

It's not a deal breaker if you don't get the sale right away, but you should be aware of what the next steps will be to keep them interested.

Depending on your product or service, the sales cycle could last months, and you may need to remind and reassure customers that this is typical.

Consider yourself their negotiation partner.

1. You're their friend trying to assist them get the most out of the bargain, not simply some salesman.
2. You will gain their trust if you do this. You'll also come away from your time together with more knowledge and a clearer picture of how to proceed.
3. To keep the discussion continuing, rely on your instincts and the rapport you've established thus far. You're the coolest person in the room, ensuring that everyone stays cool, calm, and collected.
4. REMEMBER - It's fine and reasonable to schedule another in-person meeting. However, make sure to send them a meeting agenda so there are no surprises and they don't feel like they're just repeating the first one. You don't want meetings just to have meetings.

Assuming you find and deliver the proper answer for your prospect, you'll want to check in with them in a few weeks or quarters to see how it's been working for them.

*This is not due to a lack of confidence, and it is critical that you do not make it appear such* -- Rather, this is an opportunity to continue the positive connections and experiences. Once they've utilized your goods or services, they're bound to have some feedback.

1. Maintain your availability to them.
2. Make it clear to them that your customer service channels are available and encouraged. This will significantly increase the likelihood of returning consumers.
3. Finally, your attempts to maintain the relationship demonstrate that you weren't all talk when leading them towards a transaction.?
4. They will be impressed with you & your team and are more likely to refer you to others they know who are looking for comparable services.
5. Finally, your attempts to maintain the relationship demonstrate that you weren't all talk when leading them towards a transaction. They will be impressed with your team and are more likely to refer you to others they know who are looking for comparable services.

You'll impress if you play the long game.

If you continue to operate as if it's 1994—or even 2023—you'll be overtaken by a competitor who has improved their ability to interact with their client base.

Be sure to come across as compassionate humans, not programmed machines, during both the recruitment and retention phases.

When compared to templates or machines, the rapport you can provide is immeasurable. People nowadays are yearning for genuine relationships. So provide them with what they require.