Ways to Build Rapport With New Clients Quickly

I just watched a rep lose a HIGH 6 figure deal in the first 5 minutes. Not because of price. Not because of product fit. Because of tonality. Here's what happened: Prospect: "Hi, nice to meet you. Just finished walking my dog..." Rep: "Great. What business priority brought you here today?" Prospect: "Um... we're just looking at options..." Call went downhill from there. The problem: Some reps have only one communication style. For instance: Direct and aggressive. But 60% of prospects need a softer approach to open up. Here's the framework I teach top performers: 1) Read the prospect in 30 seconds Fast talker, "let's cut to the chase" = match their energy Slow speaker, relationship-focused = dial it down 2) Adjust your questions accordingly Instead of: "Who's the decision maker?" Try: "Typically when companies evaluate new solutions, it involves a few people. In your organization, who would usually be part of that process?" Same information. Completely different response rate. 3) Practice the uncomfortable Yes, it feels fake at first. Your brain says "this isn't me." But you're not being disingenuous. You're adapting your communication style to connect better. The drill: Record yourself asking 5 discovery questions at different tonality levels for 20 minutes daily. Level 10 = drill sergeant Level 5 = curious colleague Level 2 = supportive friend When reps master tonality… Discovery calls run 40% longer Prospects share sensitive information earlier Close rates increase 30%+ One of my clients went from 23% to 31% close rate just by softening her delivery on budget and stakeholder questions. You can have the best discovery framework in the world, but if your tonality shuts prospects down, none of it matters. Sales leaders: This is coachable. Shadow your reps' calls and listen for tonality mismatches. Role-play different prospect personalities in team meetings. The reps who master this skill connect with every buyer type and consistently hit quota. P.S. DM me if you want to install this in your teams.

The #1 mistake I see in client relationships? (It took me years to learn this) Confusing contact with connection. Most professionals think staying “top of mind” means constant contact. So they: ❌ Send generic check-ins. ❌ Ask for meetings without clear value. ❌ Share the same articles everyone else does. Then wonder why response rates keep dropping. 20+ years in client relationships has taught me: The best way to stay memorable? Show up as someone who genuinely cares about them  (and their success). Instead of asking: ❌ “How do I stay visible?” Ask: ✅ “How do I show I care?” Here are my favorite 6 ways to show you care: 1. Spot Opportunities They Might Miss ↳ Share competitor moves and market shifts before  they hear it elsewhere. 2. Be Their Connector ↳ Introduce them to people who can help them grow. 3. Offer Insights They Can Use Immediately ↳ Send relevant research they can apply right now. 4. Celebrate Their Successes ↳ Spotlight their wins like they’re your own. 5. Invite Them Into Your World ↳ Include them in events and conversations that matter. 6. Check In With a Personal Touch ↳ Reach out with no agenda, just genuine care. Here’s the truth: Most people only show up when they want something. Top performers show up because they genuinely care. Because they know when someone’s ready to buy, they don’t research who’s available. They call those who’ve already proven they care. Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your take on it in the comments below. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full cheat sheet? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf 

Many sellers inadvertently lower their status with their "rapport building". Want your prospect to actually respect you? Try this approach: The easiest way to earn your prospect's respect and get them to "like" you: 1. Show you respect their time 2. Show you know their business 3. Show you're prepared for the call To accomplish all 3, our team follows the 𝟵𝟬 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲 in sales meetings: In the first 1.5 mins of the call, say something that SHOWS we prepped for the meeting and know their business. Examples: 1. For our newsletter sponsorships, we might comment on a new product feature they just released: "𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰-𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 - 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘏𝘰𝘸'𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘨𝘰?" ^This is likely something they'd want to promote in a newsletter -- 2. For our Club Pass sales training program, we'll might comment on something we read on a job posting for an AE: "𝘋𝘢𝘯, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘑𝘋 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘕𝘛 𝘈𝘌 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘏𝘰𝘸'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨?" ^Selling into new verticals often leads to VPs wanting to upskill their teams. -- Done right, you differentiate yourself from every other crummy sales call they've taken this quarter AND get a chance to feel out how much they care about the thing you called out. If I get a lackluster response about the new feature release...I know that's probably not something they're going to want to promote in the newsletter, and I know not to waste time asking more about it! Don't waste everyone's time attempting to schmooze about the cold weather in Toldeo in an obvious attempt to butter 'em up...instead, find ways to demonstrate credibility and your calls will kick off so much smoother.

I hear all the time from my clients that they don’t like networking because it feels insincere or inauthentic. But with the right approach, it doesn’t have to be that way. Transactional approaches to pitching yourself or your business are not how connections are made. Instead, you need a relationship-first approach that prioritizes curiosity, authenticity, and empathy. I call this activating the connection. A successfully activated connection in, let's say, a business meeting environment, is someone who leaves the meeting trusting you, willing to support you, and ultimately comfortable recommending you to others. Here are the 8 steps to activating the connection in a meeting: 1 - Know your intention Clarify the goal of the meeting to yourself before starting. 2 - Warm it up Start by building rapport before getting into the meat n’ potatoes of the meeting. 3 - Elevate your vibe 90% of communication is non-verbal. Make sure your non-verbal communication is on point. 4 - Focus on them, not you Resist the urge to talk solely about yourself, particularly during the rapport-building stage.  5 - Bring questions Prepare ahead of time so you can ask great questions and display thoughtfulness and curiosity. 6 - How can I help? Express, within reason, how you can support the recipient by helping them achieve their goals. 7 - Share your vision with clarity and resonance If the situation calls for it, pitch the person with your vision of how you can help. 8 - Trust and credibility Trust and credibility are an ongoing process that extends beyond the first meeting. End the meeting by clarifying the next steps and following through with your word. That’s it! Remember, your success isn’t just based on what you say, but on how you make others feel. Good luck!