Building Rapport

People buy from you because they ........

Like You

&

Trust You

Even if you have experienced any type of sales training, you are probably familiar with this information.  I'm not exactly coming up with a revolutionary idea when I talk about building rapport and getting to people to like and trust you.  Sales is all about making a connection with your prospect so that they will be comfortable doing business with you.

I often see building rapport as the one of the greatest weaknesses among salespeople.  They do not take the time slow down and find a common connection with their prospect prior to talking business.  Part of the reason is that they don't know how to do it and part of the reason is that they allow the prospect to control the conversation.  Allowing the prospect to make you skip building rapport happens all the time.  There are a few principles to follow when it comes to building rapport.

Ask Questions. Even better, Ask the Right Questions. 

A salesperson should never pretend to know about a subject just because they think the prospect is interested in it. If you have a genuine interest, talk about it.  If you don't, DON'T talk about it.  I'll give you an example, I don't like dogs.  Tons and tons of people loves their animals, especially dogs.  If you go to a house with a dog, two dog, or three dogs, that is probably a subject you can use to make a connection because pet owners love their pets.  But I absolutely do not like dogs.  I can't identify what type of dog it is.  I don't want to pet the dog.  I don't want your dog to jump all over me and lick me.  I don't ever pretend to like dogs.  Now, I also don't tell people about my dislike for dogs either.  I just avoid the subject and find another topic to discuss!  A good salesperson will have a variety of topics and interests that they can discuss with prospects.  A great salesperson will be extremely knowledgeable about these subjects and will be interested in their prospects experience in these subjects.

You need to have questions that allow you to find these common subjects.  The questions need to be open ended.  The questions need to invoke emotion or passion from the prospect.  When I see a Jeep Wrangler in some one's driveway or garage, that is typically a great connection for me.  I have owned 7 Wranglers.  I love them.  I know a lot about them.  Wranglers are kind of a niche vehicle, when people own them, they really like them.  I can name 10 other subjects that I commonly am able to connect with prospects about, can you?

Control the Conversation.

Sometimes, it is appropriate to cut people off.  WHAT?!  That can be rude, and a salesperson can't be rude.  Well, don't be rude about it.  Politely cut into the conversation. Be so nice, so professional, and so likable that the prospect doesn't care you cut them off!  I often times have to 'man handle' a conversation to get it headed in the right direction.  A salesperson cannot be afraid of leading their prospect into the conversation they need.  When a prospect jumps right down to business, politely answer the question or acknowledge them, but reverse right back into building rapport.  Follow up your answer to their business question with a question about that interesting coffee table they have.  Or that recently renovated kitchen.  Or possibly that boat sitting in the driveway.  Anything that the prospect might be passionate about AND you have a genuine interest in.  Don't be afraid to control the conversation.

When done well, building rapport lays the foundation for every sale.  It opens the prospect up to listening.  It allows the prospect to buy into what you are saying.  It makes the prospect want to do business with you.  And it can prevent the prospect from having buyers remorse and cancelling!

If you want to be a successful salesperson, you must first become talented at the art of building rapport.