Inspiring trust and forming friendships are essential for business; here are a few ways to simplify the process.

Human beings are social creatures. We strive to form meaningful, personal connections with others. Building rapport with others and nurturing friendships not only enriches our personal lives, but it also makes our business relationships more rewarding. It is human nature to feel a strong desire to help a friend; we constantly look for ways to make our friends’ lives easier and more enjoyable. These same desires carry over when business is involved. When you have a good relationship with a business partner, you both are more likely to come to an agreement that is mutually beneficial.

Cultivating friendship with clients is essential for any successful sales representative. I’m not saying you and your client should buy matching friendship bracelets and have slumber parties on the weekend, but connecting on a personal level will work wonders when it comes to increasing the level of trust your client has in you. Whether you’re a sales rep or a distributor, you’re more likely to convert a potential buyer into a satisfied client if you can build a rapport and inspire friendship. If the potential buyer likes you, he or she is more likely to trust that the product/service you’re offering can truly benefit them, believe that you’re not trying to cheat them on a price, and understand you’ll be there to help if anything happens to go wrong in the future.

Inspiring trust and forming friendships with clients is sometimes easier said than done. However, there are a few things you can do to help the process along.

1. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Engage clients and potential buyers with questions that will get them talking. This means asking questions that require more than a “yes” or “no” response. You’re not conducting an interview, so don’t bombard the client with rapid-fire questioning. Try to ask questions that will spark a discussion. Asking about current events is a great way to break the tension at the beginning of the conversation. For example, if you’re speaking with someone in Europe, ask if they followed the London Olympics this year or what they thought of the opening ceremony. Not only will this allow you to learn more about your client, but it will also give them the opportunity to learn a bit more about you on a personal level.

2. Just for a Minute, Forget About the Sale

Business isn’t always just about business. Ask questions and chat with your client about things completely unrelated to the sale. Things like birthdays, sports, movies, family, and holidays are good topics. Talking about things unrelated to work, sales, and business will put the client at ease because it shows that you are taking a personal interest and are looking to do more than simply close a sale. This is a great tactic to use, especially if you’re meeting a potential buyer for the first time.

3. Don’t Start a Fight

Certain topics are off limits. Don’t ask deeply personal, prying questions. It’s rude and will put your client on the defensive. Also, never ever bring up a topic that is likely to spark an argument; stay away from religion, politics, scandals, or current controversies. These are issues that people tend to feel very strongly about and will go to great lengths to defend their position. Even if you make a statement about politics that you feel is quite innocuous, there is a possibility that another could be offended or respond in an aggressive manner. Sales representatives should be cautious to ensure that friendly conversation doesn’t ignite a debate that will cost the sale.

4. Be Observant

Try to learn a bit about your clients’ interests. As a sales representative, you already know how to pick up on subtle cues and small details to help negotiations proceed more smoothly. Just apply your observation skills to learning more about your client and coming up with new conversation starters. Did you notice that this potential buyer has a sunglasses tan even though it’s February? Perhaps he just got back from vacation? Ask him if he’s done anything fun lately. Or perhaps you notice that his iPhone case has pictures of golf clubs on it. Why not mention a humorous story about the last time you and your friends were out on the course?

5. It’s Not Stalking, it’s Research

Social media is a great tool for learning more about clients’ likes and interests. If they have their profile set to private, you can still view some basic information that can provide you with valuable insight and possible conversation starters. For example, if their profile picture is an image of them posing with a family member, you can assume that family is quite important to them. Asking questions about their spouse or kids would be a great way to get them to open up. Or perhaps they’re wearing an Eagles jersey. If so, ask them if they saw the game last Sunday and what they thought of Vick’s performance.  Just make sure you don’t overdo it; rattling off obscure details you learned from a client’s Facebook with set off the stalker alarm and definitely come off as creepy.

6. Take Notes

Building a relationship in the sales industry depends on taking the time to really pay attention, listen to what your client has to say, and remembering that information later. Remembering specific details from a conversation that took place months ago can be difficult. If you’re an independent sales rep with a large number of clients to keep track of, it can be impossible. Taking notes is an excellent way to keep track of what was spoken about as well as any relevant details of the conversation. Keep track of all of this information in one place and organize it by person so it will be easy to add more details and reference.

7. Be Genuine

It’s a sad truth, but the sales industry sometimes gets a bad rap. We all know the stereotype of a “typical” sales rep— slicked back hair, bad suit, and sickeningly fake attempts to act like your best friend just to con you into buying a lousy product. Don’t let yourself reinforce this negative bias against the sales industry. You should absolutely take an interest in potential buyers, but be sure that your interest is genuine. Never feign an interest in something just because your client has a passion for it. Eventually, it will be become evident that you’re lying and once you lose a client’s trust, it may be impossible to win it back.

Like all relationships, building a lasting business friendship will take time and effort. Little things, such as wishing your client a happy birthday or congratulating them on an anniversary will go a long way. Keep in touch with your client, even after you close the sale. Your attention will be appreciated and it will keep you in the forefront of your clients’ minds. Who knows? Perhaps a past client will provide you with your next referral and lead to your biggest sale yet.

Which strategies have you used to build a better rapport with clients or potential buyers? Have you found that certain tactics works better than others?

Do you have what it takes to be a successful sales agent?

Whether you’re a recent graduate or a seasoned professional looking for a change of pace, exploring a career in the sales industry is a popular choice. Working as a sales representative has the potential to be quite rewarding, both personally and financially. However, sales is not for everyone. To be a great sales person, you must possess certain skills and personality characteristics. We’ve highlighted

1. Independent

A good sales agent must be an independent self-starter and have the drive to go out on his/her own to uncover new leads and pursue fresh opportunities. Just sitting back and waiting for others to deliver lists of leads isn’t enough; if you’re not working hard every day to discover new sources of leads, you can bet someone else is.

2. Confident

No one wants to buy anything from someone they don’t believe or trust. Inspiring these feelings in others stems from a strong sense of self-assurance. As a sales rep, you must genuinely believe in yourself and the quality of your product in order to motivate others to do the same. However, it is important to remember that there is a difference between being confident and being cocky. Confidence is respected and comes from the knowledge that one is capable and well-prepared. Cockiness stems from arrogance and vanity and is an attribute most people dislike and avoid.

3. Personable

To be a good sales representative, you must be personable and likeable. Forging personal connections with potential buyers is important for building relationships because when people are around someone they like, they tend to be more at ease and more receptive. Connecting with buyers can be done in a number of ways; telling a personal story, recounting a relevant anecdote, chatting about a shared hobby, or bonding over a commonality (growing up in the same state, attending the same college, having young children, recently getting married, etc.) are excellent ways to forge meaningful, memorable, and mutually beneficial relationships with others.

4. Strong Communicator

A successful professional in the sales industry absolutely must be an effective communicator. This attribute incorporates a number of different abilities. A strong communicator must be able to concisely explain complex ideas. He or she must also be able to clearly convey information without using overly technical terms or industry jargon. Additionally, an effective communicator must be engaging. Generating interest at the beginning of conversations to grab a prospect’s attention is essential. Even more important, a strong communicator must be able to wrap-up a conversation effectively to inspire the buyer to pursue the opportunity. First-rate listening skills are crucial for truly understanding your buyers concerns and needs. They will also help you determine whether the buyer is a big-picture kind of person or is more concerned with details, which will allow you to tailor your pitch to be as appealing as possible.

5. Knowledgeable

Whatever you sell, you must know it inside and out. This encompasses understanding all of the details of the products/services you are selling, being well-versed in industry trends, and staying up-to-date on news that could affect your industry. No matter how much you know, there will always be certain things you don’t. If a buyer asks a question that you don’t know the answer to, explain that you’ll have to look into the matter and be sure to follow up promptly.

6. Honest

As a sales representative, your reputation is one of your biggest assets. As your career progresses, you will put together a portfolio that details the products/services you’ve sold and companies you’ve represented. This portfolio will help you find new business partners and will also be used as a reference to future companies and buyers. If you ever sell a shoddy product or represent a product in a dishonest way, it will be evidenced in your portfolio. Misleading buyers will hurt your reputation and cause you to lose out on future opportunities. Even if misrepresenting a product helps you makes a quick buck, in the long-run the damage done to your reputation will absolutely out-weigh the fast sale.

7. Organized

Working in sales is like working in a garden. Once you contact a potential buyer and plant the seed of how your product will help them, you have to invest a significant amount of work. Staying in contact and providing helpful information will help the relationship blossom. Once the client is ready to buy, you can finally enjoy the fruits of your labor. Now imagine you have a garden, but all of your plants are at different stages of growth. Some seeds have just been planted and need careful nurturing to get them to sprout while others are ready for harvest. This type of scenario is more like what you’ll experience in the sales industry with many different clients all at different points in the sales cycle. Managing all of this data can be hectic. In order to know which clients to reach out to and at what time is a skill that will be learned over time. You can make the job easier on yourself by keeping meticulous notes of who you spoke to, what was spoken about, what the next steps are, and when you need to reach out again.  Stay organized; otherwise potential leads will slip through the cracks and be forgotten.

8. Observant

Being observant is a valuable attribute for a sales agent. The ability to “read” buyers will help you pick up on subtle verbal and non-verbal cues that allow you to sell more effectively. For example, if you notice a client raises his eyebrows when you mention a certain product benefit, it could imply that he never thought of that idea before and it would behoove you to explain the concept in more detail. Conversely, if a potential buyer suddenly seems very interested in his watch when you start describing product specifications, perhaps he is more concerned with the overall benefits of the product and you should focus on the big picture, not details. Additionally, being observant will help you pick out who the decision-makers are in any organization. Finding these important people will allow you to pitch more efficiently by focusing your attention on those who can actually authorize a sale.

9. Calm

As a sales rep, you must always remain calm and collected even in the face of rude clients and rejection. Unfortunately, some people may believe the stereotype that all sales people are somehow trying to sell an inferior product and cheat others out of money. This bias can cause people to be rude, hostile, or aggressive towards sales reps. No matter how amazing your sales pitch may be, how innovative you product is, or how much a buyer truly needs your services, you will eventually be unceremoniously hung up on or have a door slammed in your face. Rejection is inevitable. A good sales agent must have the composure to resist feeing demoralized, discouraged, or indignant. In many cases, if you are honest and can answer all of their questions you will inspire trust and earn their respect, which can lead to sales and referrals.

10. Persistent

There is an old proverb, “if at first you don’t succeed: try, try, try again”. As a sales rep, this saying should be engrained in your mind. You will be told “no” by potential buyers. Sometimes you’ll hear this within 10 seconds of your first call to a lead, and sometimes you’ll hear this after months of carefully cultivating a relationship. Do not be discouraged. Continue to reach out to new leads and stay in contact with the old ones; you never know when one of them could enter your market or recommend you to a friend.

Not many people are natural born sellers. As with any talent, it takes time and effort to develop the skills to be successful. If you’re willing to work hard to foster these characteristics within yourself, you have a great chance of succeeding as a sales representative and enjoying a rewarding career. Did we miss any must-have attributes of great sales agents? Let us know in the comments.