4 Steps to Improve the Customer Service Experience

How would you improve the customer service experience? Originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

If you work as a salesperson, you are aware that establishing rapport is very important to your work. That’s the case because rapport is an essential part of any sale.

However, if your competition is already doing it, you have to do it better in order to beat the competition and grab those clients for yourself.
There are, of course, some tips on how you can build rapport. But basically, what you need to do is to ask questions.

The thing is, the traits that may attract a client to you are the same ones that would attract you to any human being. Moreover, the same traits that would turn you off will probably have the same effect on a client. If a client feels connected to you, it is more likely that he will do business with you.

In order to overcome any obstacles and successfully build rapport with your clients, below we listed some tips you can do to make things happen.

1) Doing Research Is Doing Homework

First and foremost, you should research your potential client before making contact so you could make a meaningful connection once the contact has been made.

Should you be speaking the client’s mother tongue, try speaking in it with your client what you talk initially. You should always look to go into meetings as prepared as it is possible so nothing catches you off guard.

If, by any chance, you are in the client’s hometown, try complementing it when conversing with the client. Mention stuff like weather, beaches or unique attractions you’ve noticed.

All of this may come very handy to you as you will be able to create a sense of nostalgia and to connect with your client on another level. And eventually, you will establish the desired rapport.

2) Listen to Understand

When discussing anything, we as human beings after asking a question, instead of listening to the response tend to formulate our own response that will follow. That is not what you need to do as a salesperson.

What you should do is listen, with the intention of understanding your client. that is the key to establishing rapport.

You can work on this skill very easily. Simply create the habit of repeating what you heard for clarity. Once you’ve started repeating what has the client said, you will have a greater understanding of his needs and problems.

3) Discover Your Client’s Needs

If a salesperson is good, it could be said that he could function as if he were an extended team member. There could be situations in which an identification of the client’s needs would be needed in the sales process. And that is the moment when a salesperson could step in, much like a friend and uncover his client’s pain points.

So, basically what you could do is make your client think outside the box by asking him some questions. That way he will consider you as more than just someone who he works with, and instantly the rapport will improve.

4) Bring Something to The Table at No Cost

Another very efficient way of improving rapport with your clients is adding value at no cost. Meaning, make your client realize that you are there for him, much like a friend, someone who won’t charge him for additional service.

There are many things you could do to act in this way. For instance, you could send your client an article that reminds you of his problem, or an article that could assist him in the future.

Also, you could always invite him to an exclusive training session that you usually give out to your own staff, a session that may help your client develop professionally.

Then, you could offer him a tool you have created for fixing the problems your client is having, like a tool for a template, spreadsheet or form. Of course, assuming you got one.

Lastly, you can offer him help for creating original content for his company website, or marketing, etc.

It would help immensely with establishing rapport if you are able to do anything aforementioned. And since you would be helping him out at no cost, your client will innately feel obligated to repay you in some way.

Contributed by Patrick Holman, Founder at Thread.live | Enterprise tech sales