How To Build Rapport in Sales: Tips for Authentic Connection

A few days ago, I purchased from a company that sells personalized vitamin packages.

Now you might be wondering, why did I do this? Why did I buy a month’s worth of vitamins from a company I know very little about?

Well, it’s because my sister told me to.

My sister and I have built years of trust and share many interests. She told me that she’d been taking the vitamins for a couple weeks and saw a lot of improvement in her energy and overall health.

If a stranger had suggested it, I wouldn’t have purchased this product. But because my sister has built rapport with me, I trusted her opinion. 

While rapport in the workplace will look different than family relationships, connecting with people is essential if you want to be a great salesperson. Let’s take a look at why rapport matters and how to build it with your customers. 

What is rapport?

Rapport is what happens when two people “click.” When you have rapport with someone, you feel comfortable around them. More importantly, you know you can trust them. 

Rapport is often built on shared interests, values, and experiences. It’s more of an emotional connection than anything else. 

And while it might seem like something that only happens between friends or loved ones, rapport can be established with anyone — it just takes a little effort.

Why is rapport important in sales?

Rapport is important in sales for the same reason it’s important in any human interaction: it builds stronger relationships. And when you have a good relationship with someone, they’re more likely to do business with you. 

Social seller Jill Rowley sums it up well in her article about building trust in sales. “People buy from people they know, they like, they trust.” 

People choose who they trust and who they like based on who their friends trust and like. You can build rapport with one person, and without even trying, you’ll have a sale from someone you’ve never met. 

Rowley adds:

Want to earn someone’s trust? Earn the trust and confidence of their friends and associates. This is why social selling works so well; by interacting publicly with other trusted sources, you become a trusted source.

Of course, rapport isn’t just about being friends with your prospects. It’s also about understanding their needs or concerns and tailoring your sales pitch to match. 

For example, suppose you’re selling a new car. You’ll need to find out what kind of car your prospect is interested in, their budget, and their concerns about buying a new car. How will the car you’re selling address those concerns and align with their needs?

Once you’ve asked and answered these questions, only then can you give them the information they need to make a decision. 

Without rapport, you’re just another stranger trying to sell something. With rapport, you’re a trusted advisor who can help customers find the perfect solution.

How to build rapport with customers

Now that you have a solid understanding of rapport and its importance in sales, let’s look at some tips for building authentic customer connections. 

1. Find common ground

One of the most rewarding parts of working in sales is meeting and connecting with new people. Take the opportunity to build genuine connections whenever you get the chance. 

Before jumping straight into a sales pitch, it’s important to engage in friendly conversation with the customer and find common ground. Finding relatable topics of conversation jumpstarts the process of building trust.

A simple way to engage customers is to ask about their interests. What do they do for work? What do they like to do in their free time? Do they have pets? What music, sports teams, books, etc., do they like? 

It might seem like small talk on the surface, but this will help you better understand who they are and what they value. Plus, it helps you relate to them more personally if you share common interests. 

Bonus: the customer will see that you’re invested in understanding them. They might have an easier time trusting you and feel less pressured during the sales pitch. 

2. Be authentic

Genuine connection requires authenticity, honesty, and straightforwardness. Customers can tell when salespeople are faking relationships to make more sales; this is where the industry gets a bad rap.

Be genuine in every interaction, whether it leads to a sale or not. 

Just as you take the opportunity to learn about your customer, allow your customer to learn more about you. Be yourself and show your personality. If you’re funny, slip in a couple of (appropriate) jokes. Or, share some of your interests and passions. 

You don’t have to share your whole life story. In fact, it’s just as important to know when NOT to speak up and share. 

For example, a previous coworker knocked on doors and approached a situation where he conversed without oversharing.

This was during the presidential election when everybody was hot and heavy about their political views. 

He approached a house with signs supporting a different party than his own and knocked. The interaction was normal at first, but then the customer brought up politics.

“This election is crazy, huh?” 

My coworker responded, “Yeah, it is. People are really using their voices this time and standing up for what they believe in.”

The man sighed. “Yeah, I don’t really agree with many of them.” 

My coworker used his better judgment at this moment to redirect the conversation and avoid any conflict. 

“The great part about America is that we’re all free to have our own opinions. I respect everyone for being passionate and loyal to what they stand for.”

The man didn’t really know what to say after that. He nodded at the comment and changed the subject back to business. 

My coworker approached several houses with lawn signs opposite of his political views. He told me he would never mention his political party because if it didn’t align with the customer’s, they might deem him untrustworthy. 

The key to this interaction is that he didn’t deceive the customer into believing he was voting the same as him. The last thing he wanted to do was pretend to be someone he wasn’t just to make a sale. He shared his honest feelings about the election and left his own views out of it.

Take the time to build rapport as honestly as possible—you’ll find that your relationships are much more rewarding.

3. Listen

Listening is an essential skill for anyone who wants to succeed in business—especially in sales. 

It’s not enough to hear what the customer is saying—you also need to understand and interpret the meaning. This means giving the customer your full attention, noticing the tone of voice and body language, and removing any distractions (such as your phone or a computer screen). 

By doing this, you can focus on what the customer is trying to say and be in a better position to help them.

I’ve had a lot of experience with sales calls, and a few have stood out to me in particular.

One time, I called an older lady and expected to do my usual introduction, but that’s not what happened.

I started to say hello, but the lady snapped before I could even get the word out.

“I don’t want anything you’re selling!” 

It took me aback at first, but I had to keep my composure and remember that there was a person behind this voice. I knew I had to adapt what I was originally going to say. 

“I’m sorry for calling at an inconvenient time. I know how frustrating that is when you’re already having a busy day. I just wanted to give you a call to check in. How is your day going?”

Her tone changed. She was just as surprised as I was when she first answered the phone.

“Well, I actually haven’t had the best day today. I’m getting ready to visit my kids and grandkids this weekend, and my flight was canceled. I’ve been on the phone all day trying to get a new flight or even a refund, but nobody is being helpful.”

After actively listening to her story, I understood why she was stressed and didn’t want to take my call. I sympathized with her. 

“I’m so sorry. It’s frustrating being on the phone all day and not finding any help. I’ve been there. I don’t want to keep you on the phone anymore today, but is it okay if I give you a call another time to discuss our product with you?”

I could sense her relief, knowing I wouldn’t continue selling to her. “Thank you for understanding. Yes, I will be visiting family for the next three weeks, but you can call anytime after that, and I’ll have time to speak with you.”

Sometimes sales is about being a human first and a salesperson second. It’s crucial to listen to the other person and take time to ask how they’re doing. You’ll be more inclined to build rapport and create a lasting connection by showing that you’re engaged in the conversation.

4. Follow up

In sales, the follow-up is just as important as the initial interaction with the customer. 

Building rapport isn’t a one-time thing; it’s an ongoing process. Following up keeps that connection intact and allows you to help the customer through every stage of their purchasing process. 

Here are a few more reasons why following up is beneficial.

There are many ways you can follow up with a customer. Which one(s) you use will depend on the company, your personality, and your customer. Below are just a few examples: 

Questions to ask to build rapport

Good questions get people talking about themselves, and that’s where rapport starts. If you want to sharpen the skill itself, check out our guide on how to ask better questions.

Stick to open-ended questions that can’t be answered with a yes or no. You don’t need to work through a list. Pick one or two that fit the moment and follow wherever the answer goes.

The question that builds the most rapport is usually the follow-up. When someone answers, ask about something they just said. It proves you heard them and turns a Q&A into a conversation.

How to build rapport when you’re not in person

A long time ago, all sales happened in person—usually right on people’s doorsteps or in stores. Nowadays, it’s more common for people to sell over the phone, through email, on video calls, even via text message. More often than not, a modern sale will involve more than one of these channels. 

While all of the tips in this article apply to selling in-person, there are some unique considerations to take into account on other channels. 

Selling over the phone

With no facial expressions or body language, your voice has to carry everything your face would when you’re on the phone. 

If it’s an unscheduled call, begin by asking if it’s a good time. As the canceled flight story above shows, giving someone an easy out can earn you a second conversation.

Once you’ve got them on the phone, speak clearly and at a good, understandable pace. Try to match their speaking pace—slow down for a relaxed talker and get to the point with someone who’s in a hurry.

Silence feels longer over the phone, so use small verbal cues like “got it” or “that makes sense” to show you’re still with them. 

On video

Video feels close to in-person, but it has its own quirks. 

When you’re talking, look at your camera instead of their face on the screen, since that’s what reads as eye contact on their end. Check your lighting and background before you join, and close anything that might send you a notification. People can tell when your eyes drift to another tab.

Lag makes it easy to talk over each other, so give it a beat before you respond.

For more tips, check out our article on Zoom interview tips—many of them apply to sales as well.

Over text and DM

Text is where rapport is hardest to build and easiest to lose. Tone doesn’t come through, so a message that feels neutral to you can read as cold or pushy. Lean a little warmer than you normally would.

Make sure you are using the platform the sales prospect prefers. If you’re messaging on WhatsApp but they prefer Instagram DMs, messages will get lost.

Mirror the other person’s style. If they write in full sentences with punctuation, do the same. If they’re more casual, you can loosen up, but skip the slang, emojis, and abbreviations unless they use them first. That goes double for customers who are older than you.

Keep messages short and easy to read, and don’t lead with a pitch. If the conversation gets complicated, send a voice note or suggest a quick call so they can hear your voice.

Mistakes that kill rapport

Rapport is essential for making sales, but it can also cause problems if it’s pushed too far or taken in the wrong direction. Here are a few common mistakes to avoid when building rapport: 

Dragging out the small talk

Small talk opens the door, but it wears thin fast. If someone gives short answers or asks what you’ve got for them, take the hint and move into business. Respecting their time builds more trust than another question about their weekend.

Talking more than you listen

Nerves make a lot of people fill every silence. Be intentional about letting the customer do most of the talking, especially early on. Save your points for when they connect to something the customer has already said. Check out our article on how to have better conversations for more tips. 

Faking interest or agreement

Pretending to love their favorite team or nodding along to an opinion you don’t share can feel like an easy win. But people can usually tell, and once they catch it, they start questioning everything else you’ve said. You can stay respectful without pretending, like the coworker in the election story did.

Laying on the compliments

One sincere compliment lands. A string of them starts to sound like a setup. Make it specific and stick to one—being overly flattering and fawning won’t get you anywhere.

Pushing past “not right now”

When someone tells you the timing is bad, believe them. Pressing on tells them the sale matters more than they do, and that can undo all the rapport you’ve built. Asking when you can follow up keeps the door open.

Disappearing after the sale

If a customer only hears from you when you want something, the relationship starts to feel transactional. Checking in after the purchase, using the follow-up tips above, shows them the connection was real and makes future sales more likely.

Building rapport will take you from good to great

The bottom line is that building rapport is key to closing deals and making sales. You may be able to fake it for a little while, but if you want to make genuine connections with your customers and close more sales, take the time to get to know them. Listen to them. Be human first.

Knowing that you can make even the smallest difference in someone’s life will make your career all the more rewarding.

.

.

Ready to build skills employers want? Practice your communication skills, learn to build rapport, and get paid. Request an interview today.