In a previous blog, we spoke at length about the importance of the first meeting in B2B sales. The initial meeting with the prospect is when impressions are made and decisions are influenced. It is a critical opportunity that sales people must utilize to launch their relationship-building measures because the sooner you start, the higher are your chances of converting. By focusing on building relationships with the potential customer during the initial meeting, you help the prospect perceive you as a professional who values them, and being consistent through subsequent interactions can help you win more than just a conversion. It can help you create a loyal customer!
Here are some practical tips to help you build a relationship with your prospect from the word go:
- Understand Their Challenges
Start the conversation by sharing what you know about them and their company. While you may already have an idea of the challenges that they are facing, it is always better to hear it directly from them. Ask them to specify their challenges using open-ended questions that will encourage them to get into a conversation with you. Keep the conversation going by asking close-ended questions to gain further clarity on their answers. Respond to their concerns by letting them know how your product can help them. At this point, your aim must be to let them do all the talking and think of you as someone who can help them.
- Follow Up
To build a relationship, you must interact with the prospect multiple times. Ensure that you leave ample reason for the prospect to get back to you during every meeting. If they don’t make contact, find relevant opportunities to follow up with them. At the end of your first call, you could share case studies or white papers based on the pain points that the prospect raised during the meeting, and then, follow up on the same in your first follow-up. Take a call on how and when to follow up next on the basis of the prospect’s response. If they don’t revert, don’t forget them. Instead, if you learn that the prospect has a challenge or has reached a milestone, offer them your wishes and support. When you have a new product launched, get in touch with them to communicate how it can help them.
- Find Commonalities
It is always easier to build rapport with people with shared interests or challenges. Try to find points that you share in common with your prospect. You could start by opening up about your journey, your past and why you are in sales, why you work with your company. Honest stories will allow prospects to trust you and might even help you find what you have in common with them.
- Maintain personal touch
After the first few interactions, the relationship between you and the prospect is likely to turn more into a doctor-patient kind of connection. They are going to look up to you as someone who genuinely cares for them and helps them solve their problem. Though establishing this kind of connection involves consistent follow-ups and being available, once you arrive at this stage, you must capitalize on it, to turn them into a client.
Establishing rapport with new people by meeting them and listening to their stories can be refreshing for customers who are all too used to receiving cold calls. By building a relationship with the prospect, you can easily win their trust, eliminate objections, and make way for long-lasting business.
If you’re looking for tools to help you build your relationship with prospects, get in touch with us. We’ll show you how SARA AI can help you maximize conversions by scheduling events, planning meetings, invitations, and reducing back and forth emails.