ICommunicate Radio Show #121: Rapport Building Is Underrated

It’s time to stop treating rapport building like a tedious, uncomfortable step in the sales process. This underappreciated technique can be the determining factor in whether or not you’re able to close the sale. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses the importance of emotional intelligence during rapport building as well as how to understand and act on the wants, needs, and fears of a potential customer. Segment 1: As salespeople, our worst nightmare more often than not is time. We only have so long to build rapport and sell our product, so it’s essential that we manage our priorities. How essential is rapport building and where can we find the time to incorporate it into our sales process? Segment 2: Surmounting that initial, awkward barrier that often presents itself during rapport building with a new client can be challenging, but not impossible with the right mindset. How do we proactively build rapport without coming off as a typical pushy salesperson? How can we utilize multi-generational intelligence to understand how to interact with members of different generations? Segment 3: The initial conversation with a potential prospect raises the questions: why you and why now? What are the most important pieces we need to retain from a sales call and how can we assess them? Segment 4: Connecting with a customer and empathizing with their situation is undervalued, especially given the impact it has on finding the right fit for them. How can we be memorable and make people feel heard? Why is it important that we empathize with our clients and how does it relate to the bigger picture?