Written by: Cristian Cairo, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Is it essential to be in tune with your customer during a discovery call or a sales call? The answer could be obvious, but are you able to connect with your clients?
And do you know how to create an excellent 'relationship' with a potential client?
In this article, you will find some of the secret keys on how to create rapport and trust with your client. You will learn step by step what you should do or not do, and even say or not say to your client.
Being aware of your level of preparation, and understanding how to behave in each phase of the sales negotiation will lead you straight to your goal:
Remember that a good negotiation must be based on a win-win relationship, that means you find a balance between what you want and what your client wants.
Use your words and any pause wisely, check your posture and your body language, too. Developing your listen and your communication skills will lead you to asking powerful questions in a careful way be aware not being too direct or to give the impression you’re judging your client.
Help your client to choose and decide, and clarifying needs, desires; help them to get a clear idea of the benefits and advantages they will get by buying from you.
Empathy is a very powerful weapon that must be genuine and natural, forcing it will not help you, indeed you will get the opposite effect. To be empathetic means making eye contact, using your facial expressions and your body language and your voice tone to make you even more trustable.
Try to understand what negative doubts or thoughts are stressing your client: I recommend you take notes and mark the most important information, so, you can give accurate feedback, through a summary of what you just heard.
This will show how much you are considering your client and their problems.
I suggest you practice your effective and emphatic listening skills so you can become more focused during your sales.
Can happen that in helping your client you could give unsolicited solution, or you are just transferring your needs and expectations to your client: your approach or your feedback could see as criticism, this can really influence your client’s subconscious, who will tend to defend ideas and opinions or not just listen to you anymore.
Even If your client has not a clear idea about what you are trying to propose this can create a sense of annoyance and this will lead you to a drop in rapport and you will require putting other effort to reconnect and recreate the rapport with your client.
Give time to yourself to know your clients’ needs: so, you can have elements to qualify your client, too.
Don't talk like a humanoid without emotion, take pauses and allow to your clients to express what they want.
Some clients tend not to ask questions: in doubt ask appropriately, anticipating any questions they may ask you during the negotiation.
Your presentation must also be fluid and understandable ‒ don't make a monologue! Let your client to participate actively, give your products in their hands, or give a catalogue and brochure, videos, etc.
Check if your client has a clear idea about your presentation and …get many “YES” you can!
What does it mean to get more yes?
Just ask if everything is clear
you can ask if you can proceed with your presentation or dwell on a specific point
In this way you get more “YES”, and the more you will get the more you will have the idea that they agreed to proceed, as well as you can understand that they are not getting distracted.
Evaluate how much your client is happy with your competitor's product or services, if they are satisfied with their customer care service.
Even anticipating future objections will give you a great advantage: because you can handle them in advance!
Rapport requires a continuous Trust, and RAPPORT and TRUST are never constant, don't forget it. Even an enthusiastic client could change her or his mind about you, your company, your or product. Discovering their internal resistances or external influences can really help you.
For instance, try to understand if your client has a good financial situation and how much efforts your client could put to pay you; in fact, one of the most common objections is due to lack of financial resources or having to make an extra effort to make their payment done.
This requires a great energy: help your client to see the benefits and advantages and what will happen if they give up proceeding on the negotiation. So, they can see their investment really valuable.
Show your real interest by saying that you want to help your client, and that you are willing to make less money, because it's important to you that your client gets the results they always wanted. Ask them to give you a chance and trust you!
Of course, you will provide guarantees!
Before booking next call or session, make sure your client clarified at least one goal, and have in mind what result to achieve.
In the end of your negotiation, pay attention to provide any information necessary to support your promised results and benefits.
Remember to give a gift, or a guide about your company, your products or services, or show the results you have achieved for your current and past clients. Add case studies and customer testimonials to your guide.
Cristian Cairo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Cristian Cairo is a real example that anybody can change their lives and become a resilient person!
He risked becoming homeless twice times in his life, he sold everything to survive and he lived in a cold room without heating and light.
Even he was cheated by his girlfriend and then I felt full of debts too.
Cristian learned a life lesson that could make desperate anybody, but he decided to change without blaming destiny or others.
After a temporary job, he saved a little pocked money and then he moved to the UK, where Cristian again faced with life adversity.
His host au pair family paid him only £6.50 for his job, and then they asked him to leave their home!
Even in this situation and even with a little money in his pocket, Cristian's burning desire to become a life coach in the UK did not get lost...
Cristian nowadays and after only five years after is an author, business, and relationship coach who is impacting so many lives by using proven coaching strategies and workouts.
Cristian wrote two self-help books based on software engineering principles to allow readers to apply with success road maps to get towards their dreams and gain the results they want.
Based on his love for teaching, Cristian Cairo helps coaches & consultants to become an authority in their niches by building a strong relationship with their audience.
This kind of approach makes his worldwide clients find clients online by their winning coaching or consultant programs.
Cristian Cairo's coaching style is really direct and he is the coach who wants their clients to succeed following a real structure to allow them to gain their first results in a few months.
Cristian studied in Italy at the famous Italian "Life & Corporate Coaching School" of Luca Stanchieri and in the UK with Peggy Guglielmino, Ella Winter, and the Coaching Academy.
You can learn more about Cristian Cairo through his book "The 10 Amazing Steps to Success! ‒ How to live happily and reach your goals" and "The C.A.I.R.O. Method"
