JULIAN SAYS:

Trust and rapport are at the hub of any sales relationship if you want to build rapport with clients. The age-old principle still holds true – ‘people buy from people’ or perhaps, ‘people buy from people who communicate effectively with them, creating a relationship of trust and rapport’.

The word ‘rapport’ is regularly tossed around in conversations in the sales arena and yet when we cover the subject on our courses, there is often confusion about what it means. It is certainly not simply about being nice to people!

People come from all walks of life – different backgrounds, situations and views. To some people, living in an isolated cottage on the Yorkshire Moors would be idyllic. To others, it would be unimaginably boring. But the cottage in this example is the same set of bricks and mortar – it is the individuals’ opinions that are different.

This is because we all have a different perspective, or ‘map of the world’.

Each person’s ‘map’ consists of all sorts of knowledge, experiences, attitudes, beliefs, habits and opinions. Natural rapport is likely to be rare given how different we all are and how our ‘map’ is unlikely to coincide with anyone else’s.

GET ON THE MAP

A sensible starting point to improving your staff ’s rapport building skills would be to get them to accept the concept of ‘maps of the world’ and recognise that each prospective client has a different one.

If a salesperson can see a customer’s ‘map’ more clearly, they can shift towards it. This doesn’t mean changing their own views (although that may be a natural consequence), but that they look to ‘match’ with them in terms of voice, vocabulary, pace, tone and so forth. ‘Matching’ is a key element of rapport building.

Matching means being ‘in tune’ with the person. One way is to adopt aspects of their behaviour – body language, gestures, tone of voice or particular words and phrases.

In everyday life, people tend to do this that you and your companion adopt the same posture. At a social occasion you might notice that people who are getting on well lift their glasses to drink at the same time – natural signs of being in tune, in rapport with each other.

Scenario questions will help you to understand the client’s ‘map’.

Beyond ‘matching’, rapport building comprises a number of skills – described as ‘soft skills’. These include effective questioning and active listening.

The first skill – effective questioning – is something that most people think is easy. However, truly skilled questioners have an array of questions which they can draw on.

The most effective questions to accelerate the building of rapport are ‘open’ and ‘scenario’ questions. Both encourage the speaker to speak, which, obvious as it sounds, is not always a goal achieved by salespeople – particularly those who prefer the sound of their own voice.

Open questions start with “How?”, “What?”, with a simple “Yes” or “No”.

“How are you getting on with finding a property? is a far better question than, “Have you found a property yet?” as it encourages the customer to elaborate. “What is the absolute latest you need to be moved by?” is significantly more effective than “Are you in a hurry to move?”

Scenario questions are great to start to understand the ‘map of the world’ as you project the customer into a future position and seek their views. “What would happen if you hadn’t moved by that date?” or “What will you do if you don’t achieve your asking price?” or “What will you do if you can’t find a detached property within your budget?”

These start to really delve into the mindset of your clients as you move towards their map of the world.

LISTEN AND LEARN

The second skill – active listening – remains an essential ingredient of effective selling. We all know the phrase ‘two ears, one mouth: use them in that proportion’, but many salespeople are too busy formulating their next statement or question to listen to their customer. ‘Active listening’ ensures you avoid such mistakes.

Active listening involves listening with all senses. Giving full attention to the speaker is essential. Verbal and non-verbal messages can be effective – maintaining eye contact, nodding your head, smiling, agreeing, to encourage them to continue. By providing this encouragement, the person will feel more at ease and communicate more openly.

Reflecting snippets of what the customer has said, showing you are taking things on board and summarising, to check understanding and prove you have listened, also play their part.

Combine these techniques and your team will move to the next level in their sales technique – the time you invest in helping them build rapport with clients and customers could be the best investment you make in 2014.