Posted by Dave Lorenzo - Business Coach

Sales Killer #4: Not investing time in building rapport. Good rapport builds trust. No one will want to make a purchase from someone they don’t like and trust. Don’t just jump right into a presentation on your product. Get to know your client a bit. (from Entrepreneur.com)

A business owner friend was telling me recently that she needed to hire a graphic designer for some work on a promotions project for her Pittsburgh office. She got a few names from a business partner in the area and sent inquiries off to two of them by e-mail.

One of them responded and provided a link to her Web site and portfolio, then proceeded to ask some questions about the project and the director’s history of projects in the Pittsburgh area. She communicated her enthusiasm for the project and signed off warmly. The other candidate also included the relevant links and stated his interest in the project, but he failed to provide his name at the end of the message—every time he responded.

The director corresponded a few more times with each of them and eventually had to ask the second designer for his name. The work of both designers was solid, and the first charged about 30% more for her work. Who do you think the director chose for the project?

She chose the one with a name, naturally. The second candidate ruined his chances of getting a new client simply by not taking a few extra moments to build rapport with her. Business is about people, and relationships are critical to your career success. Always introduce yourself, shake hands, smile, and attempt to make a connection. If you are working with someone from an office in another city, you need to make even more of an effort to establish some kind of connection. Give your business partner or client a call, sign off warmly, arrange to meet for lunch the next time you’re in town. And always use names!

Filed under: Career Commonsense
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