What is "rapport" and why should you care? Have you ever had two meetings with a prospect or client and one of the meetings went very well and the other failed? If so, the odds are that you were in rapport with your client in the good meeting and out of rapport during the bad meeting. Of all the definitions of rapport, I think the easiest to understand is simply being "in sync" with the other person. When we're in sync, we feel that we have a lot in common with the other person -- they're just like us. It lets us both be comfortable and open up to each other.
Most people respond somewhat negatively to sales situations. For example, when you go to a store and a clerk offers to help you, do you ever find yourself saying, "No thank you. I'm just looking," even though you entered the store with every intention of making a purchase? We all have. Its called natural sales resistance.
The key to overcoming that resistance when working with a client or prospect is to focus on helping them to identify, define and achieve their financial goals. Then, rather than trying selling yourself or a product, just LISTEN. Whenever you give someone your undivided attention, your unconscious will naturally work to place you in rapport with the way they think, speak and make decisions. That rapport will open doors and reduce resistance to the solutions you offer to their needs. In the end, any successful relationship is just a matter of rapport. Thanks and good luck. kfg
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Excellent article. Rapport is the basis for all effective communication and relationships.
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