How to Build Better Rapport with Customers

Building rapport is key to success with customers. People are more receptive when they are around other people like themselves. The time spent on making friendly conversation and inquiring about the customer’s life will prove beneficial when trying to make a sale. Nobody wants to feel like they’re being persuaded into something. However, people will be much more open to buying when they feel like you have built trust and connected with them on some type of level. Now something I struggled with when I first became a sales rep and always asked myself was: What do I have to really connect with? Most of the time I was meeting people 15 to 20 years my senior that I really didn’t know, so trying to spark conversation was a bit challenging. After a while though I realized that people love to talk about themselves. So instead of trying to build conversation around subjects that I could put my own two cents in I would just ask simple questions that I knew the customer would want to talk about.

Kids

- Where do they go to school?

- Are they involved in any extracurricular activities?

- What’s their dream job?

Occupation

-How long have you been there?

-What got you interested in that field

-What was your dream job as a kid?

Travel

-Where’s your favorite place you’ve gone?

-Any family vacations planned for the summer?

-If you could go anywhere where would you like to go?

Home

- How long have you lived in the area?

- Do you know your neighbors pretty well?

Asking these type of questions will go along way when closing on a sale, because it shouldn’t even feel like a sale. If you build enough proper rapport, sales just becomes a by product of that. Being sincere and open in conversation builds credibility for the customer. They will feel like you have the best interest in mind for them and the product you are selling will actually improve their lives. Building rapport with your customer is very important and will help you close like a champion on all your sales.