How To Create Rapport With Your Clients Rapidly

Why Creating Rapid Rapport With Your Clients?

  • You want to be able to put clients at ease quickly
  • Milton Erikson said ‘Anything is possible in the presence of rapport’
  • Rapport is a feeling of knowing, liking and trusting someone, having that feeling that someone seems so familiar
  • The greatest breakthroughs with clients will come as the relationship with the coach grows. Making that great from the start creates a breakthrough environment from the outset
  • When we chat to people we unconsciously create rapport and we naturally do things that match and mirror the person we are talking to. We are going to look at ways to consciously create rapport, which is especially vital if you feel you are losing connection with your client. Rapport should be assumed unless there are negative indicators.
  • Establishing rapport with your client should be the first step of any and every coaching session and breakthrough session

Why Creating Rapid Rapport is?

  • Vocal rapport
  • Language rapport
  • Values rapport
  • People like people who they feel they share common ground with.
  • physical rapport

How To Create Rapid Rapport With Your Clients?

  • Match and mirror any of these: tonality, timbre of voice, pitch, speed of speech, breathing and volume
  • Use similar language and expressions, chunk sentences to similar size and if you can pick up on preference to V, A, K or Ad then use appropriate language
  • Look at what is important to client and express shared values with client
  • Avoid direct imitation, as it will be construed as rudeness or ridicule and could actually damage rapport
  • For additional rapport picture how client is sitting or standing and match it. If you’re not sure or you really want to get it right, ask them (depending on purpose, I would generally only consider this for breakthrough situations over phone)

4 tips to cultivate a life long relationship with all your customers

Tip #1:
Exceed your customers’ expectations. Give the customer more than expected: small gifts, or free shipping. Create a personal and cordial relationship.

Tip #2:
Offer special discounts, and/or loyalty programs. Especially for customers who spend the most and those who spend consistently. Offer a plan for buying in bulk, with special benefits and bonuses. It creates harmony right away.

Tip #3:
Watch out for feedback emails. Always thank customers after the purchase and keep on contacting them to offer them new products that you know may be of interest to them.

Tip #4:
Involve customers in your every initiative.
Keep them up-to-date on new product releases, make sure they can give you their opinion on a service / product that they have bought or on the updates you send them. Make customers understand that their opinion is very important to you. Be available and responsive to their feedback.

What next / Homeplay:

  • Work with your coaching buddy to practice matching and mirroring over phone during coaching sessions
  • Pick one thing to match and mirror for every coaching session you do and discover how good you can become at it (be careful not to imitate / ape your client)
  • Practice using rapport in situations and with people who you feel your rapport is poor with

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