Building Rapport with Customers

Building Rapport with Customers

What does it mean and how to do it

Open Ended

In your own words, what does building rapport mean?

Open Ended

Why is it important to build rapport with customers?

The video mentions the following:

• Greet every customer with a warm smile.

• Make eye contact.

• Compliment your customers.

• Start a conversation with a general comment e.g. wow, it's a nice day today (weather)

Poll

Which of these is the most important in your opinion?

• Greeting every customer with a smile

• Making eye contact

• Complimenting your customers

• Starting the conversation with a general comment

4 Tips for Building Customer Rapport

1. Check Your Appearance

First impressions are important and your appearance is the first step to building customer rapport.

4 Tips for Building Customer Rapport

2. Remember the Basics

Always remember the basics of good communication :

Be culturally appropriate .

Smile.

Relax .

Remember people's names .

Hold your head up and maintain a good posture. Listen carefully and attentively .

Don't outstay your welcome.

4 Tips for Building Customer Rapport

3. Find Common Ground

Identifying common ground can help to establish rapport, so use small talk  to find something that you both share.

Most people like talking about themselves, and the more genuine interest you show in them, the more likely they are to relax and "open up."

4 Tips for Building Customer Rapport

4. Be Empathic

Empathy  is about understanding other people by seeing things from their perspective, and recognizing their emotions

You need to really hear what they say, so that you can respond intelligently and with curiosity. So, it's important to be a good listener, and to fine-tune your emotional intelligence