Between every customer and every purchase stands a barrier.
Sometimes, this barrier is as small as an anthill. Other times, it’s as large as Everest. But in each interaction between a customer and a salesperson this barrier exists.
It exists because of the lack of trust customers have in salespeople. It exists because of all the past experiences and horror stories and warnings the customer has heard leading up until now.
And it exists because of the worry, doubt and anxiety that come with handing over hard-earned cash for a product or service—because what if the value given isn’t worth the value received?
For this reason, as the price of a transaction climbs, so does the size of the wall. And because it’s also built on preconceived notions, the size of the wall continues to soar as you pile on negative stereotypes, hearsay and hours and hours of research.
Soon, the wall is seemingly an insurmountable obstacle standing between you and your customer and blocking the sale.
This is the Mighty Wall Of Mistrust, and it stands between every customer and purchase.
The hard truth is, customers won’t buy when the wall is still standing. That’s why it’s your salespeople’s main job to slowly break down that wall and earn their trust.
How do they do this?
By building rapport with the customer.
Simply put, building rapport is about finding common ground. This is important because studies have shown that 71% or more of consumers report that they made a purchase because they liked, trusted and respected the person doing the selling.
Here’s what your team needs to know in order to build rapport quickly and seamlessly.
A—Ask Questions
Your sales people should show genuine interest in who their customer is and what they want to accomplish.
They should be genuinely curious about their customer and not accept any first answer at face value. They need to constantly be asking, “Why?” or “How?” or “What if?” Even after they’ve discovered something, they should keep digging.
B—Build A Relationship
People like to work with friends more than strangers. Building a relationship allows you to break down The Mighty Wall Of Mistrust we talked about earlier.
Find common ground and establish similarities and continue to ask investigative questions that drive the conversation along.
Which brings us to our last step to building rapport.
C—Control The Conversation.
Your salespeople need to start every conversation with a goal. Make sure they’re using strategic communication to keep the conversation on track.
This will help them guide it toward a successful resolution, which is more cars sold.
Because if they’ve taken their time with each step, brought down The Might Wall Of Mistrust and successfully built rapport, this part of the conversation is their opportunity to leverage the value they’ve built.
The customer will be more likely to listen to them and respect their suggestions.
Ultimately, you should give your salespeople these words of wisdom:
“If a customer likes you, they will listen to you. If they will listen to you, they will believe you. And if they believe you, they will buy from you.”
Want to learn more about how you can train your sales team to be better communicators and altogether better salespeople? Click here to get your free copy of our book The Last Up—A Curious Tale About The Future Of Sales.