Saturday, September 26, 2009

Building Rapport the Easy Way


Rapport building is the first step of the sales presentation and commonly the 2ND most important behind CLOSING of course. Here is an easy to remember strategy for relating to your prospect I call the F.O.R.D.S.

F- friends and family. If you were referred into a presentation by a friend or client make sure to take advantage of that relationship. People like to buy from people their friends know and trust. Family is also a great way to relate to anybody and can be as simple as having the same first or last name as someone in your family.

O- organizations and associations. memberships in the local Chamber of Commerce, American Bar Associations, and business-to-business networking groups to name a few are great conversation starters. It is easy to find out as you may see plaques on the wall or stickers on the prospects door that list their memberships. Or your can simply ask.

R- Recreation. This can be an easy giveaway as soon as you step foot in a prospects office. Look for golf clubs, pictures of vacations, boats, and cars.

D- Dreams. All people have dreams, and in business settings and offices you can tell a lot about a person by looking around their desk or office. For most entrepreneurs their business was once their dream and they are always happy to talk about their business and how it has grown and the direction they are heading.

S- School and Sports. Look for diplomas and certificates on the wall and around the office. Sports team memorabilia and pictures of athletes. This can tell you a lot about their interests and where they or their children were educated. Always a great conversation especially if you share the same interests, went to the same school or know someone who does.

There you have it, now there is no excuse for not having anything to talk about besides the weather. Enjoy.

1 comment:

  1. One thing that I figured out while working in sales is another one of the big Rs - Relationship. It is created through building Rapport, and by practicing what Arthur has suggested here. I believe that selling isn't about pushing products, but it's about building a Rapport and a Relationship with your clients, and helping them figure out which one of your products will serve them best. When there's none, you just have to be honest about it, and maintain that Rapport and Relationship for the future.

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