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Meeting with people- Establish rapport

Written by: Tom Gosche

Article Overview: Last week I started talking about an important part of your Marketing and Branding Strategy, which is to meet with people, usually one-on-one. I made some suggestions on agenda topics you can use with these meetings. This week, I will discuss establishing rapport.

Meeting with people- Establish rapport

Last week I started talking about an important part of your Marketing and Branding Strategy, which is to meet with people, usually one-on-one. I made some suggestions on agenda topics you can use with these meetings.
This week, I will discuss establishing rapport. Learn a little about the other person; where they live, where they work, other hobbies or interests outside of business. This will sometime happen at the end if you are meeting for the first time. Unless…
Last week, I met with someone for the first time. As I arrived, I noticed he was proudly wearing a youth football coach sweater. If you know me, you know I coach Schaumburg Youth football and it become a fun passion! When I asked him about it, we had a great conversation about our kids, coaching others’ kids and the differences between Schaumburg and his town’s youth football organization.
Since we had that in common, do you think it was easier to talk about business? Was I able to ask him better, more probing questions then if we did not have that in common? You bet!
However, be careful! My old friend Dan Seidman, author of Sales Autopsy (a very funny book about the sales that die!) tells the story of a man trying to establish rapport:
As the salesperson was walking into the prospects office, he notices a picture of the prospect with his arm around former football coach and announcer, John Madden. What a great in! So the salesperson says “Wow, when did you meet John Madden?” The prospect then said, “That… is… my… wife.”
Make sure you are not blowing rapport, by jumping to conclusions.

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Article Tags: branding strategy, establishing rapport, football organization, funny book, hobbies, john madden, jumping to conclusions, marketing, old friend, passion, probing questions, prospects, salesperson, schaumburg, seidman, youth football coach



Related Forum Posts
Cold Calling ain't that bad - "Go for No" interesting concept and Jen great use of it. I'm working on a project right now and I think this concept/perspective can help. Thanks ppl. I try as mush as possible to convert a cold-lead into a warm one. Email is definitely one of my tools. I keep it short and add some value (e.g. article of the company in the paper) and that I will be contacting them on a particular date or time with their permission - much like what's been said before. I also try to find out if a company is running a blog or some extension of their company online and build rapport with the person maintaining the site - that usually will lead to an introduction to the person pulling the strings. Other times there just isn't time to build rapport and you just need to pick up the phone.
Re: How do you budget your life? - Here is my financial management categories for today: 15% Long Term Savings; 10% Home Expenses; 45% Business and Marketing charges; 10% Friends (Meeting); 20$ Scientific and Law Books. But this will change when it is August or September. Orxan
It's Not The Type It's The Who! - I think it is better to get someone who you work well with, have a good rapport with and probably someone who balances your strengths and weaknesses, rather than M or F. Regards
Problem with networking events - Another benefit for shy people who use the internet to promote is that it's also much easier to build rapport and genuine relationships. For instance, it's a more effective way to reach the largest audience possible by simply participating in a forum like this, than to walk around at an in-person networking or social event and ask superficial questions like "So what do you do for a living?" Most of the people who attend business/networking events are usually only there to sell something rather than buy. They ONLY care about what you do for a living IF you can help him/her out and then you're stuck in a room full of people competing for talk time as SageMediaDesign pointed out.
Re: Does it help to join business groups? - I think so, yes, if you can join the right group, then it can be beneficial. Meeting other entrepreneurs in various fields and industries, some are long-time entrepreneurs, others have just started, each one can learn something from the other. Business groups are great platform to get support too, especially if you want to raise a particular question. Forums like these make it easier to get help and at the same time, contribute your own insights for others. It's a give and take thing:)


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