3 Effective Ways to Build Rapport with Clients

If you're in the sales game then you know how important, how vital, building rapport with your clients really is. It makes all the difference displaying some good habits early in the process, to give you the results you desire further down the sales cycle. Even aside of sales it is useful - maybe you are a young entrepreneur trying to develop a comprehensive network, an employee trying to get on the bosses good side with hopes of a promotion, rapport building is what makes or breaks the outcome.

This is a list of our 3 favourite Rapport Building Methods.

Look for a Connection

So you're in their office, you see a picture on the wall of a cocker spaniel - "beautiful dog!" - should be what comes out of your mouth. It could be a dog, it could be a football jumper, a brand of coffee sitting on their shelf, anything you could relate to that person with should be one of the first things that you highlight. If you can do this well, naturally, it will put you in great stead moving into the conversation.

Mirror their Movements

This one is an old, tried and tested approach to rapport building, and it works! The idea is to sit in the same position, move your hands in the same way or talk at the same speed as the person you are speaking with. Unconsciously the person will feel increasingly at ease with you. You will know if you have reached a level of distinguishable rapport with this person when you go for a drink, and they do the same!

The Sneaky Compliment

Some people don't like compliments, it makes them feel uncomfortable, everyone else could be complimented all day long - either way this approach works. You've reached a meaty part of the conversation, the talk has moved onto business matters, you have just made a really inspired point, then you pause - "I really like that shirt" - then back to business talk. Sandwich a compliment within a strong point and it's follow up. The person will be thrown off guard, in a good way. It will give them a confidence boost, which they can relate back to being with you.

Really simple stuff, but effective! We encourage you to give it a try yourself and let us know how it goes by posting on our Facebook Page. We would love to hear from you!

Contact us for a free consultation today! Business Consulting like you've never imagined.

Why is Branding My Business so Important?

You have a great product and already get a bit of business, there's no need to put any effort into optimising your brand, right? Well, that is not quite the right approach.

Your brand can be a lot of things; it could be your logo design, the way you answer the phone, your website, your marketing collateral, even your invoice template, and so on. We believe you need to consider every single touch point with your customers, every nano second they are in contact with your business, to ensure your brand image is in line with your product or where you want your product to be positioned in your industry. It's imperative.

We know first-hand that changing something as simple as the logo or homepage of a website, or changing the message in your advertising, can result in a massive increase in leads and sales. Ask yourself:

• What do I want my customer to think when visiting my website?
• and, does my website achieve that?
• Does my website have a good flow?
• Does my logo represent my 'brand' accurately?
• Is my marketing/advertising resulting in many leads?
• What is the message of my marketing/advertising?
• Do I get the respect I deserve in my industry?
• Is my pricing representative of the quality of my service/goods?

The first step is to think long and hard about what your business is offering. Not your product or service, instead, WHY people should buy your product or service. What is your selling point?

Excellent Company offers complete brand audits, where our experienced team sits down with you for a discovery session and combs through all the aspects of your business. Then presents some ways you could optimise your 'brand'. Email josh@excellent.company for more information.

How To be a Sales Rockstar

When we were young, grandmothers were fond of making a complex task seem simple by declaring it was “like shelling peas.” It’s unlikely we’ll ever have to shell peas like granny did but here’s a few simple ‘Ps’ that could help you make more sales.

Positivity

It’s all about attitude. We all know that dogs can sense fear - guess what, so can your prospect. If you feel negative going into a meeting don’t go. Postpone and don’t reschedule until you can go in with a positive outlook. 

A positive outlook and patience enables the sales rockstar to effectively deal with the inevitable knock backs that are a part of selling and move on to the next opportunity emotionally unscathed.

Product knowledge

It’s easy to have a positive attitude if you’re confident that you can answer any question your prospect may have without hesitation. That’s why the sales rockstar takes the time to know their product inside out - its features, benefits and USP and even its limitations. After all, having clients with unrealistic expectations will likely end in cancellations. 

The best sales people believe in their offering and combine that with empathy to see it from their customer’s perspective. They have a genuine desire to deliver a genuine solution to a genuine need.

Process

Sales rockstars stick to a proven process. They have a comprehensive understanding of the underlying metrics driving their pipeline and results and they don’t deviate from it. 

They work to a well-defined structure and can stick to it with minimum supervision. They’re conscious of time constraints and have the self-discipline to manage their time effectively.

Prospecting

At the root of a common cause of underperformance is a lack of time spent prospecting. 

The sales rockstar understands the crucial role that systemic, ongoing prospecting plays in maintaining a healthy pipeline. They have a prospecting plan that ensures enough new prospects are added each month to reach their revenue objectives.

Productivity

Sales is a numbers game. Rockstars aim to exceed the activity numbers that they know will get them to budget. If they know it takes on average 100 calls to get them to their target, they will make 150 or more. While their colleagues hit their number and down tools, the champ goes another round.

Profitability

The champions of the sales floor see themselves as their own business unit. Sure, they represent their organisation’s products but they think in terms of their own personal P&L. 

Although they have a healthy dash of selfishness, they understand their place within the bigger corporate picture in which they work and ensure their work aligns with the employer’s overarching mission, vision and values.

Polish

The sales legend never sees themselves as the finished article. They suck up the advice of those they respect like a sponge. Like a stand-up comedian, they critically analyse their own performance and polish their presentation on a constant basis. They tirelessly work on their weaknesses and practice and test their skills, whether in front of a mirror or in front of the customer, wherever they can, time and time again. 

While we’re at it, here’s a few more P’s we could shell: 

Perseverance, Patience, Professionalism and Passion. 

We’re sure you could work them out yourself without, as Granny might say, us “teaching you to suck eggs.”