How do you build initial rapport with your customers?
Building initial customer rapport with anyone is important with small business firms that sell consultative products or services to other businesses it is essential. It is the impetus to being able to establish a rapport beachhead and the springboard to your likelihood to build a deeper and closer business relationship.
Okay, so how do you build initial customer rapport?
It is simple how do you answer the question, “what do you do?”
How you answer, the question is the foundation to rapport building. It is the business question you are asked most often at a networking event, by a potential customer, or a casual acquaintance regarding your business.
Are you ready? Do you know how you will answer?
Your answer is decisive to building initial rapport with the person that just asked you that question and maybe in getting a referral from that person from a friend or casual acquaintance of theirs. Your answer is that important.
Why, because your answer has the power to instantly resonate with the person that just asked you that question and if it does you will have an opportunity to build deeper rapport to sell yourself and your business.
The number one thing not to do is to answer the question by telling them what you do. That’s right do not tell them anything about what you do.
Instead, tell them how you can help solve a problem they may have or others they know may be encountering.
When someone asks the question, “what do you do?” They are really asking can you help me.
Some people call this an elevator pitch or speech; I like to call it a 10-second commercial because you need to deliver this message in less than ten seconds. When done properly you should evoke one of two reactions from the person you are talking to. They will react with wow, tell me more or tell me more. In either case, you just built initial rapport.
By using a well-crafted, customer-centric 10-second commercial you are delivering a simple but powerful marketing message about your business that can be repeated by the person that asked you the question and by others, they network with. A good 10-second commercial is worth tens of thousands of dollars in free advertising to a small business.
Takeaway
If you want to be more successful in building initial rapport with your business-to-business customers then develop a customer-centric marketing message that explains how your small business can help solve problems for your sales prospects in less than 10-seconds and use it as the foundation of all your marketing everyday.