This is open body language and will help you and the person you are talking to feel more relaxed. Give plenty of eye-contact but be careful not to make them feel uncomfortable.
This is not only seen as polite but will also reinforce the name in your mind so you are less likely to forget it!
Try to ask the other person open questions the type of questions that require more than a yes or no answer. These questions are more comfortable to answer, because you are not being put on the spot to give a clear opinion see our pages: Questioning and Types of Question. Avoid contentious topics of conversation. It is much easier to stick to the weather, the last speaker, and travel arrangements than risk falling out over politics.
Use feedback to summarise, reflect and clarify back to the other person what you think they have said. This gives opportunity for any misunderstandings to be rectified quickly.
Talk about things that refer back to what the other person has said. Find links between common experiences. Try to show empathy. Demonstrate that you can understand how the other person feels and can see things from their point of view. See: What is Empathy? Be non-judgemental towards the other person. Let go of stereotypes and any preconceived ideas you may have about the person.
If you have to disagree with the other person, give the reason first, then say you disagree. Being honest is always the best tactic, and acknowledging mistakes will help to build trust. Be genuine , with visual and verbal behaviours working together to maximize the impact of your communication. Offer compliments, avoid criticism and be polite. See: How to be Polite for more information. Our Communication Skills eBooks. Learn more about the key communication skills you need to be an effective communicator.
Our eBooks are ideal for anyone who wants to learn about or develop their communication skills, and are full of easy-to-follow practical information and exercises. Developing rapport is an essential part of every relationship. Without rapport, you would basically not have a relationship at all!
There is always a possibility that the intended communication and the way it's perceived are completely different. Robert J. Hanlon explains it well in the concept he coined, known as the Hanlon's razor.
It states that when we communicate online, we can't read the non-verbal signs used to communicate face-to-face. And because we are missing the opportunity to understand the intent and context, we assume the worst of people. So, when they schedule a demo with you, it's critical to make sure you understand their intent and context before you begin showcasing your product.
But selling online is always easier said than done. No one likes to be sold to, so people don't open up to share their pain points unless a rapport is built. And you have 8 seconds before your prospect registers their first opinion about you. While building rapport seems intuitive in sales, the skills and approach differ from one sales rep to another.
And because of its personal nature, it's hard to replicate. I'm going to share some of our learnings in terms of building rapport and establishing trust during your online sales calls. We at Avoma like to think that online meetings have a life cycle: before the meeting, during the meeting, and after the sales meeting. No one wakes every day being excited about having meetings on their calendar. So, as sales reps, we need to do our best to reduce the friction as much as possible from our end.
For starters, it's about the set of things you can do before the sales meeting to show that you value your prospect's time. Always spend time researching your prospect before getting into the meeting.
In that case, you can get better context about the people who will be on the call. It helps you be more relevant and in building rapport. There are tools available that help you understand people's personality style, even before you meet them online. For example, using a tool like Crystalknows , a Chrome plugin that works on top of LinkedIn, helps a lot in your prospect research. It tells you your prospect's communication style and some basic insights about their personality, thus giving you a headstart.
And one of the most important aspects is the length of the sales meeting you schedule. The other day, I set up a call between my CEO and a prospect, and Aditya, our CEO, was very specific about not setting up the call for more than 30 minutes.
He said, "Yaag, as a practice it's best to keep it for not more than 30 minutes, unless the prospect wants to extend the call.
Like you, your prospect is a busy professional with a lot on their plate. Respect their time by moving to the actual sales conversation when the time is right. Look out for situations outside of work where you can hone your rapport-building skills. Networking events are also excellent places to practice creating rapport. Not only will you brush up on your ability to make small talk, but you might walk away with a couple new connections.
Do you have any rapport-building mistakes to add to this list? Let us know in the comments! Originally published Sep 1, AM, updated February 01 Logo - Full Color. Contact Sales. Overview of all products.
Marketing Hub Marketing automation software. Service Hub Customer service software. CMS Hub Content management system software. Why Rapport Building is Crucial. By Henri Barber August, 23 Rapport Building Helps You Earn the Right to Ask Questions Think of a personal relationship and how the connection you have earns you the right to ask tough questions.
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