Building rapport with your customers: The essential groundwork to successful sales

By Norman B. Rose,, Excel Sales Consulting

Creating a positive impression with a customer is a way to build rapport and allow them to feel comfortable with you. Once you create a rapport, the customer will be more likely to tell you about their project and their pain points. This allows you to help solve the customer’s problem and create a loyal, returning customer who will come back again.

It all starts with creating a great impression – by being respectful in manner, tone, and presentation. Here are a few quick tips to make a positive, long-lasting impression.

There are lots of different kinds of customers. Some people will talk about all the details of their project without a lot of prompting, while others would rather you ask them a lot of questions about their project to figure out what they need. And there is every kind of customer in between.

Whatever type you are dealing with, knowing what the customer is looking for is a necessity to being helpful and to making sales. So what can you do to get the customer to tell you what they are looking for? Here are some quick tips:

1 Acknowledge customers quickly with a friendly, upbeat greeting when they enter the store.

2 A well-groomed, tidy and professional appearance makes a huge impression – and so does the opposite!

3 Avoid prejudging customers. Make an effort to treat everyone the same.

4 Be cautious with humour; avoid sarcasm and inappropriate language.

5 Stay calm and positive with demanding customers. If things go wrong, be patient and willing to help.

6 Have a positive attitude toward coworkers and customers; be proactive in helping them.

7 Show enthusiasm and genuine interest in helping people.

8 Actively listen to your customers, and avoid interrupting them.

9 Pay attention to details and ensure customers get their orders on time and right.

10 Be reliable, credible, and trustworthy with both internal and external customers.

There are lots of different kinds of customers. Some people will talk about all the details of their project without a lot of prompting, while others would rather you ask them a lot of questions about their project to figure out what they need. And there is every kind of customer in between.

Whatever type you are dealing with, knowing what the customer is looking for is a necessity to being helpful and to making sales. So what can you do to get the customer to tell you what they are looking for? Here are some quick tips:

1 Have patience and show genuine interest.

2 Ask if you can proceed with a few questions to best assess their needs.

3 In person, ask permission to take notes and be genuinely interested.

4 Ask questions and actively listen – stop “presenting” (i.e., focusing on selling your product rather than on your customer’s needs.)

5 Understand their situation and expectations. Use that understanding to build rapport.

6 Provide guidance and be attentive.

7 Consistently ask about products or parts, to ensure that they have everything they need to complete the job.

8 Address concerns thoroughly.

9 Listen, avoid distractions and maintain good eye contact.

10 Use the customer’s name when you paraphrase their needs: “Bill, what I hear you saying is . . .”

Whether you are dealing with a supplier, one of your service providers, or simply buying something as a consumer, if you meet a salesperson, express some interest in their product and they jump right into presentation mode, you will probably ask yourself, “When are they going to stop talking and start listening? How are they going to understand what I want?”

Ascertaining your customer’s needs is a vital step in being able to close a sale. You need to know what your customer’s needs are, to sell your product to them and to recommend appropriate add-ons. Take a minute to assess your skill level in finding out what your customer’s needs are, and then work on using these tips to become even better.

Have you heard about the Excel Sales Consulting Advantage? It is a complete system for training, feedback and measurement designed specifically for Automotive Aftermarket businesses. Using a customized approach, Excel Sales Consulting can help your customer service-oriented business to achieve new levels of leadership, efficiency, and sales.