How to Build Rapport with Clients
Building rapport with clients is an essential component to boosting sales, improving customer relationships and maintaining close ties to loyal consumers. To build this close-knit relationship, a company must identify and relate to the needs of its consumers. Building rapport is only partly about the conversation itself. Basil Sawczuk, author of the book, "Marketing and Selling Professional Services in Architecture and Construction," explains that words spoken between two people only accounts for 7 percent of the conversation's meaning: Sawczuk ascribes an additional 38 percent to tonality and 55 percent to physiology. Thus, building rapport is a coordinated effort among several components.
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Instructions
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Target the needs of the client. During business lunches, gatherings and client meetings, listen to the client's concerns, expectations and demands of the business. Adopt mirroring techniques to better relate to the client by repeating back these expectations: Such tactics shows the client you are responsive and amenable to their needs. Slightly modify the phrasing when repeating sentences.
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Relate ways the business can fulfill these needs. Posture your body in a position identical to the client's, and offer solutions to the issues raised by the consumer. Use terminology and jargon only if the client uses such terms; otherwise, incorporating such language will isolate you from your client. Express the solutions in a format identical to the client's: If she writes her expectations, write the solutions in turn. If she includes a joke, throw in humor as well.
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Modify your language and communication style to suit the client's demographics. Ian Mann, author of the book, "Hacking the Human," explains that building rapport is achieved by adopting similar dress, intonation, rate of speech and even breathing. Take stock of external cues to preempt what type of dress and seriousness will be required. A meeting in a trendy martini bar, for instance, requires far different attire than a client meeting in an executive boardroom. Gather as much information about the client before the meeting: Use his age, position with the company and reputation to gauge what type of persona to adopt.
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Mentally note small details during correspondence. Listen for any personal information such as whether the client has children, pets, hobbies and charities. Mention any similarities: If you both have dogs, talk about your own pet's proclivity to raid the garbage can. If both of your kids take tap dance, talk about recitals.
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Schedule follow-ups, and include personal details. Build rapport by immediately writing an email thanking the client for her time. Write in the post script of the email any casual detail relating to similarities. For instance, if you and the client both attended Arizona State, inject a line about the Sun Devils' football performance this past season.
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Tips & Warnings
Be authentic. David Clutterbuck explains in his book, "Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring," that no technique or programmed scheme can assist with being open and "in the moment," an essential trait for building rapport.
