How to Establish Rapport With a Client
Though you are likely not in business to make friends, there are some major benefits to building rapport with your clients. By creating cordial relationships with these individuals who are integral to your business success, you can give them yet another reason to select you above others. Though you shouldn’t aim to be friends with these people, as doing so may muddy the waters of business, you can seek to create a mutually respectful relationship characterized by care and consideration.
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Instructions
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Stay in contact. Instead of only calling your clients when you have something to sell or a business-related question to pose, reach out to them periodically solely for the purposes of keeping in touch. By staying in contact, you can make it clear that you care about these people, not just the money they can bring into your business.
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Inquire about topics outside of business. Ask about your client’s son’s baseball team, his daughter’s senior prom or his family vacation to Fiji. These simple queries can easily endear you to the client, making you someone with whom he is eager to talk.
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Integrate some humor. Keep all questionable or inappropriate jokes in your back pocket, but don’t be afraid to say a few lines designed to elicit a chuckle or two.
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Develop empathy. If you know your client is going through a hard time, be as empathetic as possible, putting yourself in his shoes and connecting with him on an emotional level. If you are successful in doing so, you can help the client feel supported, likely increasing his eagerness to work with you in the future.
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Meet client needs. Above all else, you should leave the client satisfied. If you consistently meet the client’s needs, he will feel supported by you and learn to trust you, making you his go-to person within your industry.
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