Why Bother Bonding?

Why is it important for salespeople to bond with a prospect? 

It sounds like a stupid question... but it's one that many salespeople can’t answer. The fact is that no one ever won a deal just because they were friendly. It might have helped but it wasn’t the primary reason. 

So is bonding really worth your while? 

Yes, because bonding won’t win us a sale but not bonding will usually lose a deal. 

Selling is like poker. Bonding is anteing up. If we don’t do it, we’re not even in the game. We’ve lost before we’ve begun. 

The first thing we should shoot for is to develop an environment of trust and comfort. Most sales professionals can naturally create a comfortable environment but what about a trusting one? 

Truth be told, we are strangers. There is no preexisting experience to gauge one another. How do we set a trusting environment for a sales call? 

Trust comes from the truth. 

Be honest with them; avoiding sales gimmicks or laying out every benefit to your product or service. Ease into it. 

Let them know that you are trying to explore the possibilities of working together. Both prospect and salesperson need to work together to see if they are a good fit for each other. If everyone is on the same page at the start, then trust will develop as you move through the call.

The other objective is to establish equal business stature. Oftentimes prospects want to ask questions and we are expected to promptly answer. Like parents and children, they demand and we comply!

The problem with this model is that we have no control. 

If we start down this path then our prospect will dictate everything the rest of the way. Crying and temper tantrums are not appropriate avenues for a sales professional to establish an adult relationship. 

Tell the prospect that you are trying to discover a fit- or not -and that the two of you will have to work together to see if the fit exists.  

If we start the call right, and bond effectively with the prospect, we begin to establish credibility. Bonding provides the foundation and the rest of the call should build on that initial trust. If all parties know what the salesperson is trying to achieve, the salesperson has a plan (and executes well), then credibility and bonding are sure to follow suit.

So know what you are trying to accomplish and plan a strategy for bonding. Your prospect will thank you for it.