How to Build Rapport in Sales to Establish Trust and Credibility

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou

There is always a need for a positive emotional connection with potential customers. Primarily, Selling and buying are emotional experiences beyond the realm of pure logic. By building rapport, and emotional connections and showing genuine interest, you can make people feel valued and respected, which can go a long way in establishing trust and credibility.

Six powerful ways to build an emotional connection and rapport with people in our business.

Building rapport is a critical aspect of sales as it helps establish trust, credibility, and a personal connection with potential customers. Here are some ways to build rapport and connect with people in sales:

1. Be genuine and authentic: People can quickly spot insincerity, so it’s important to be genuine and authentic in your interactions with potential customers. Focus on building a real connection and showing a genuine interest in their needs and interests.

Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite.

Charles Spurgeon

This is so true in all aspects of our business and personal life. This quote emphasizes the importance of sincerity over superficial qualities like talent or charisma. Being sincere can help us connect with others on a deeper level and establish trust and credibility.

2. Listen actively: Active listening involves paying close attention to what the other person is saying, asking clarifying questions, and reflecting back on what you’ve heard. This shows that you’re truly interested in what they have to say and helps build trust and understanding.

Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.

Stephen Covey

Please remember that your buyers can easily figure out your listening capabilities

3. Find common ground: Look for areas of common interest or shared experiences that you can use as a basis for building rapport. This could be anything from a shared hobby to a similar work experience.

4. Be empathetic: Empathy involves understanding and sharing the feelings of others. By showing empathy, you demonstrate that you understand the challenges and concerns of potential customers and are committed to helping them find solutions.

5. Utilise a sense of humour appropriately: Humor can be a great way to break the ice and build rapport, but it’s important to use it appropriately and avoid offending anyone. Keep the tone light and be mindful of cultural and personal differences. Remember, no humour is better than a bad sense of humour. Don’t be flippant in your remarks during business meetings

6. Personalisation: Every person is different, so it’s important to personalize your approach to each potential customer. Consider their communication style, interests, and needs when crafting your approach.

Many times the techniques of counselling can be helpful to build professional rapport. One can use various timeless concepts such as AIDA. The AIDA timeless concept is a widely used marketing and sales framework that stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. While it’s primarily used as a framework for developing effective sales pitches, it can also be used to build rapport with potential customers. Here’s how you can use the AIDA concept:

1. Attention: Grab the prospect’s attention by being engaging and interesting. Use an opening line or question that piques their interest and makes them want to learn more.
2. Interest: Once you have their attention, focus on building interest in your product or service. Highlight the benefits and unique features that differentiate it from competitors.
3. Desire: Create a desire for your product or service by showing how it can address the prospect’s specific needs and pain points. Use testimonials or case studies to reinforce the value of your offering.
4. Action: Encourage the prospect to take action by providing a clear call to action. This could be to schedule a meeting, request a demo, or make a purchase.

By using the AIDA concept you can create a more engaging and effective sales pitch that connects with potential customers and encourages them to take action.

The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.

Theodore Roosevelt

This quote emphasizes the importance of interpersonal skills in achieving success, particularly in sales. Building rapport is a critical aspect of getting along with people and establishing positive relationships that can lead to business success.

To summarize, here are four ways to build professional & good rapport