Rapport is a subtle skill, a non-verbal skill. Many sales trainers are focusing on shallow things to DO, recommending that salespeople look for obvious things in common to mention. Rapport is a felt-sense of connectedness that is built by love, acceptance and caring for another. It is a subtle energy that happens between two people when one is BEING present with another and being open to be authentic with the other person.
It is not something that can be used to manipulate others into buying or agreeing. As soon as you try to build rapport in order to manipulate someone, you have squashed the energy. Until a salesperson can set aside his own agenda to make the sale and be present to serve the client or customer, there is no real rapport.
But once you are truly there for the customer, he can feel it and rapport happens.
Sandra Zimmer www.self-expression.com
Answer Agree it's not about manipulation and it's subtle and it is predicated by a desire to do what's right for the prospect (to arrange a win-win).
Really, having Rapport just opens up the lines of communication so that it's possible to discover if there is benefit for both parties.
