Rapport is one of the major starting points in sales that can make or break a deal, and I believe most people are fully unaware of this. As displayed by the football coach that visited us, most people that are asked to sell something will focus solely on the features and benefits of the product. If anyone was in another situation like the one the football coach provided where the individual sold the product the “wrong” way, you could immediately tell that that would be a sale that would not go through.
For effective selling, you have to not worry about the selling part at first, you have to build rapport. Typically that involves questions that have nothing pertaining to what you plan to do or the service you’re trying to sell. Questions that revolve around getting to know the person or what they do are great ways of building rapport. Showing genuine interest in whatever it is their talking about and asking questions are also incredibly beneficial. After that, you can begin to create the value that your customer is looking for through the product or service you are selling.
BoweryJE22
The football coach that was our guest speaker in class demonstrated, really well, the importance of building a rapport. The example “sell me this pen” was definitely an eye opener.
You mentioned that showing a genuine interest in a prospect is key for building rapport. I agree with that completely. A prospect will be able to see right through you if you are not genuinely interested in them and that you have an agenda. Genuine kindness and interest is best in any situation in life not just sales. Great blog post.
I agree. I think Coach Didonato did a great job talking about rapport. I think building rapport goes back to getting the appointment- leaving them wanting to know more, and excited about the meeting.
Building rapport is definitely a crucial aspect to closing the deal. Having the prospective customer feel excited and curious is an excellent way to build interest and hopefully make a sale.