15 Sales Rapport Building Tactics to Turn Leads Into Buyers
How are you?
You: I’m good, how are you?
I’m doing great, thanks. How was your day?
You: It was good, thanks....
...Isn’t that the most boring conversation you and anyone else could possibly ever have?
Zero emotion. Zero empathy. Zero connection.
A plain boring call like that has zero impact on prospects and it’s exactly where you’re probably leaking money.
You see, your prospects won’t want to buy your products or service if you make them go through such a boring call. Even if your products or services are the greatest ever.
So instead of establishing rapport and nurturing the relationship with prospects, you’re basically scaring them away.
But luckily, there are plenty of ways to help you close more sales.
One of them is building rapport with prospects.
But how do you do that?
Well, today I’m going to tell you:
- The 15 sales rapport building tactics that’ll turn your leads into paying customers.
- Why you should ditch the impersonal, boring, non-empathetic type of conversations with prospects.
- And how by injecting emotion to your calls, establishing rapport, and nurturing your relationship with prospects, they’ll likely end up BUYING.
Ready to start building rapport with prospects? All it takes is starting with this basic thing...
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Tactic #1 for Sales Rapport Building: Know Your “Stuff” & Show How It Works—This Will Show Intelligence
Curiosity, intelligence, and an agile mind are the biggest predictors of sales success according to Harvard Business Review.
And by showing your prospects in your sales calls that you really know your products or service, you’ll be simply showing them you’re smart.
And if you show them intelligence, you’ll establish rapport with your prospects.
You see, more than half of prospects want to know how a product works on the first sales call according to HubSpot.
It’s exactly why we have a demo video of how our service works right on our homepage.
To answer any possible question our leads might have about how delegating their digital marketing tasks to us really works.
People who visit your website or get on a call with you want to learn everything about the product or service they’re considering buying.
And if you don’t have all the answers, you’re going to look foolish. And you’re going to end up losing the sale too.
For instance, if you explain your value proposition, your products, your company—everything your prospects need to know, you’ll be demonstrating intelligence.
And that my friend is the first step to sales rapport building!
Now let’s head to tactic #2.
Tactic #2 for Sales Rapport Building: Provide a 5-Star Customer Service
Companies that are customer experience-driven earn 4-8% higher revenue than the rest of their industries according to Bain, a global consultancy.
And 84% of companies that work to improve their customer experience have reported an increase in their revenue according to PR Newswire.
On top of that, brands with superior customer experience bring in 5.7 times more revenue than competitors that lag in customer experience according to the Retail Customer Experience.
That’s because superior customer service experience is what pretty much any human being expects from a service or company they’re doing business with.
It’s no wonder why we all look to stay at 5-star hotels. Not in 2-star review Airbnbs.
In other words, according to the State of Global Customer Service report, 96% of respondents say customer service is important in their choice of loyalty to a brand.
For instance, if you’re looking to build rapport with your potential customers or clients, provide excellent customer service.
Prospects will seek to partner with a business with great customer service.
Simple, right?
Now let’s jump to the next tactic...
Tactic #3 for Sales Rapport Building: Use Your Listening Skills to Understand Your Prospects’ Needs
Did you know that according to HubSpot, 69% of buyers want sales pros to simply listen to their needs?
It’s very simple. Prospects want to feel heard and understood.
They want to know they’re not talking to a robot or an artificial intelligence-powered device (like Alexa or Google Home).
Prospects want to get clear answers to their questions and want to talk to someone who can listen to them—they don’t want to just listen to a salesperson.
In fact, 70% of the customer's journey is based on how they feel they are being treated according to McKinsey.
For instance, this is a proven tip on how to ask for the sale that will guarantee you a YES.
On top of that, top closers spend just over 40% of the time pitching and the rest of the time listening to the customer.
A smart move you gotta make in order to start your sales rapport building with prospects!
For instance, don’t be like the 20% of salespeople who spend over 65% of the call pitching their products according to Sales Hacker.
Instead, use your listening skills to show prospects you care about them and their needs.
And if you need proven tips to convert even the most frugal lead, then as HubSpot reports, the top way to create a positive sales experience is to listen to your prospects’ needs.
Because the best way to get people interested in your products or services is to show interest in them first.
And speaking of interest, let’s review the next tactic...
Tactic #4 for Sales Rapport Building: Listen to What Prospects Have to Say About Your Product or Service
Bragging about your products or services isn’t going to help you close a sale.
Nope.
Your prospects aren’t looking for your product or service just because someone told them to or because they think it’s fun.
Potential buyers have real problems and pain points.
And they need your products or service to solve those problems so their lives can get better.
But what’s really going to help you close a sale and improve your products or service is actually what prospects have to say about them.
For instance, take feedback to heart—it’s what we do all the time with our clients.
In fact, user feedback grew our sales by 71% in the past.
So then and only then, when you take the time to truly understand your prospects’ needs and listen to their feedback, you’ll be able to put yourself in their shoes.
And by putting yourself in their shoes you’ll be able to add more value to your prospects’ lives and perfect whatever it is you’re selling.
You’re following me, right?
Awesome, let’s continue...
Tactic #5 for Sales Rapport Building: Be Respectful & Make Prospects Feel Comfortable
Did you know that according to HubSpot, more than 40% of salespeople say that prospecting is the most difficult part of the sales process?
I can see why...
But certainly, to build rapport, you need to put your prospects first.
Your sales call is about them, not about you.
It’s about what they need and want.
For instance, make them feel comfortable during the whole sales process.
Especially when they’re on the phone learning more about your products or service.
Because once they get on a call with you, they’re basically on board with the idea of potentially buying your products or service.
So be super receptive and make them feel good from the very beginning of the sales process.
In fact, the best salespeople build rapport early on in their sales calls according to Gong.
And sales reps who can switch between introverted and extroverted modes outperform both introverts and extroverts by 24% to 32% according to Forbes.
So for this, be nice.
Try to look for things you have in common with them and try to play to that.
And since you’ve already established good rapport since the beginning of the call, they’ll likely respond favorably to your sales pitch.
Although this sales rapport building tactic may seem obvious, it’s often missed.
Most people don’t realize that by simply being late to the call or not having all the paperwork ready—you’re showing disrespect.
In fact, 73% of consumers say that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do when providing customer service according to Groove.
For instance, respect prospects’ time, keep the tone professional, and if they end up not buying, don’t be upset at them.
And by the way, pay attention to their body language, sense their tone, and listen carefully to their words.
All these could be important indicators of how much the client is ready to share or if they’re trying to express any discomfort.
Tactic #6 for Sales Rapport Building: Be Responsive & Provide Immediate Answers
Who doesn’t like immediate attention or responsiveness from anyone?
90% of customers say that immediate responses (10 minutes or less) when they have a question is very important according to HubSpot.
Your prospects feel the same way.
Their time is as precious as yours.
73% of consumers say that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do when providing customer service according to Groove.
For instance, don’t keep them waiting for an answer.
In fact, according to HubSpot, 33% of customers get frustrated by having to wait on hold. And 33% get upset by having to repeat themselves to multiple support reps.
If they ask you for more information or have a specific question, make sure to address them as soon as you can.
And if you don’t have the answer right off the bat, let them know you’ll be looking for the solution so their expectations are in the right place.
Tactic #7 for Sales Rapport Building: Know How to Handle All Sales Objections
If you don’t know how to overcome objections in sales, your prospects won’t realize that what you’re selling is exactly what they’ve been looking for.
The long awaited solution to all of their problems!
So when you get on a call with potential clients or customers, be prepared and know how to handle sales objections.
Only then, you’ll be able to build rapport with prospects and nurture the relationship.
Because knowing exactly what to say to things like:
- “Your product/service is too expensive”
- “Now is not the right time for me to buy”
- “I need to check with other stakeholders”
- “I don’t think this will work for us”
- “We are going to go with x competitor instead”
...Will let you start closing more high-ticket sales.
Not having all the answers right off the bat may make you feel like that sale is going to slip away forever.
Tactic #8 for Sales Rapport Building: Put Your Script Down for a Second & Empathize With Prospects (This Shows Kindness...)
According to Salesforce, 80% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services.
This means prospects are looking not only to buy a great product or service. They’re also looking to go through an exceptional sales process experience.
And the same way you improve your candidates’ experience through your hiring funnel, you must optimize your prospects’ journey through your sales process too.
And for doing that there’s no better way than to empathize with prospects.
So put yourself in their shoes. Put down your sales script for a second. Listen to what they have to say in order for you to provide an excellent customer experience.
In fact, data from Gong shows the more time that was spent on rapport-building on sales calls, the greater the closing ratio.
Being empathetic and showing that you care will show kindness to prospects. And this will make the experience through the sales process a lot more pleasant.
Because by using empathy to build rapport, you humanize the customer experience and nurture the relationship.
So be authentic, honest, and collaborative to ultimately provide an excellent customer experience!
Tactic #9 for Sales Rapport Building: Don’t Talk Bad About Your Competition—It Can Leave a Bad Impression
As tempting as it may be to try to destroy your competition during your sales call, this can leave a bad impression on prospects.
Why?
Because they know you’re just trying to take advantage and brainwash them to make them like you.
But guess what?
Your prospects can draw their own comparisons between you and your competition.
So don’t try to force the sale by talking bad about your competition. Don’t try to make it a negative sale.
Simple enough, right?
Tactic #10 for Sales Rapport Building: Always Thank Prospects—This Will Show Kindness
This one is pretty self-explanatory.
The same way you thank prospects as they move down your sales funnel, you must do the same with prospects.
Even if you don’t end up closing the sale, make sure to thank them for their time, their interest, and for their consideration.
By simply thanking prospects, you’ll be standing out from the competition.
Tactic #11 for Sales Rapport Building: Be Helpful & Competent
This tactic for sales rapport building is nothing but being helpful and diligent to prospects.
If they have a question, answer it.
If they need to watch a demo video, share it with them immediately.
If they’re having trouble accessing your website, fix the issue.
A great customer experience comes down to making your prospects’ experience more pleasant and easier.
And probably the best way to destroy the rapport you’ve already built is to be incompetent.
No potential customer or client will trust you if you’re not helpful or competent.
So make sure you’re properly trained before getting in that call with your prospect.
Tactic #12 for Sales Rapport Building: Provide Prospects With Next Steps to Take If They Decide to Buy
As 2 of the Laws of Sales Funnel Physics teaches you, you gotta add clarity and reduce friction in order to close more sales.
The Law of Clarity says that before people become interested and decide to buy your product or service, they must first understand what it is.
And the Law of Friction says that the easier you can make the experience for a potential buyer, the more likely he/she will buy.
So what are all these sales funnel physics laws telling you?
They’re telling you to be clear about whatever it is you’re selling.
They’re telling you to provide prospects with all the needed information about your product or service.
And they’re telling you to explain beforehand what are the next steps to take after purchase.
Also, reduce friction.
Don’t make prospects’ buying decisions difficult to make.
Eliminate any unnecessary steps, forms, or anything that can scare away your lead.
Tactic #13 for Sales Rapport Building: Give Incentives to Motivate Them
A little bribe can do wonders for establishing rapport.
You see, when you offer prospects an incentive, you’re encouraging them and motivating them to take the next step.
And that next step, of course, is to buy!
For instance, offer them a bonus, a discount—anything that can help speed up the buying decision.
After all, prospects are the ones deciding on buying or not. Not you.
Tactic #14 for Sales Rapport Building: Don’t Lie (Prospects Can Know If You’re Being Fake)
Be authentic.
Don’t try too hard to impress your prospects because they’ll notice if you’re not being genuine.
For instance, don’t lie about your products or service’s features.
Show them how much value they’ll get from buying from you.
Explain to them all of your products or service’s benefits and features without lying about it.
After all, they’ll find out if you lied to them if they try your product and don’t see some of the features you promised it would have.
Tactic #15 for Sales Rapport Building: Add Emotion to the Conversation
Even if you’re speaking on the phone with a lead, you can still add emotion to the conversation.
How?
By being passionate while you talk.
The same way you enthusiastically tell a story to a friend on the phone, you should inject that same emotion to your calls with prospects.
Make them feel enthusiastic and excited about your products or service.
Don’t start a cliche, boring conversation (like the one at the start of this article).
Use your body language even when prospects can’t see you.
So be confident. Use your hands while you talk. Laugh.
Do all of the same things you would do if the person on the phone was sitting right in front of you.
Conclusion
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See how easy it is to build rapport with prospects and get them to finally buy your products or services?
To review, these are the main points I went through in this article:
- The importance of ditching the impersonal, boring, non-empathetic type of conversations with prospects.
- How you should inject emotion to your calls to establish rapport.
- Showing intelligence (that you know your products or service) is the biggest predictor of sales success.
- Businesses with superior customer experiences bring in more revenue.
- Buyers want sales pros to listen to their needs.
- What’s really going to help you close a sale and improve your products or service is what prospects have to say about them.
- Add clarity and reduce friction (make the buying process easy for prospects).
- Be competent, helpful, and authentic.
If you apply all of these tactics, I guarantee you’ll get prospects to definitely like you and BOOM, you’ll have created your sales rapport building!
Now tell me something, what’s the most challenging part of establishing rapport with prospects? Are there any tactics you have tried to close more sales?
Let me know in the comments below.
Keep Growin’, stay focused.
