In the past, businesses built relationships with people by meeting them in person as they came into their store or wanted to work with them. But now that so much business is done online, companies have to find new ways to meet leads and connect with potential customers and clients. Because the needs of customers and clients haven’t changed with regards to wanting to work with businesses that they know and respect, it’s now up to businesses to find new ways to make this happen.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for building a rapport with leads online.
Use Their Name
We all have heard how much people love hearing their own name. But when it comes to building a relationship with people online, you might assume that this wouldn’t carry the same weight. However, having your name used, even in text, can help people feel much more seen and valued. So if you don’t already have a habit of doing this, you might want to make the change.
When you’re speaking with a lead online, be it through an email, in a comment section, or through chat, you should try to use their name a few times. Not only will this help them feel like you’re seeing them as more than just a number or a lead that you’re trying to convert, but it will also help you to remember them and the distinct details about them that you can pull from later on in your relationship.
Ask Them The Right Questions
While some salespeople like to think of themselves as having all the answers, it’s really your prospects that you should be posing the questions to when you first meet them online. Until you know who they are and what they are in need of, you can’t hope to give them anything valuable, either from your relationship with them or from the product or service you’re selling.
Mirror Their Way Of Speaking
Mirroring is something that a lot of salespeople know about regarding their body language. But when you’re speaking with someone online, you can also use mirroring in a powerful way here.
Just as people tend to be more comfortable around people when they mirror their body language, they also can more quickly become comfortable in conversation when their way of speaking is mirrored. So if the lead you’re talking to is using some specific adjectives as you’re speaking with them, try using these same adjectives. Or, if they are using emojis, you should feel comfortable using emojis back to them as well.
If you’re needing some help with quickly building a rapport with the lead you’re interacting with online, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you in doing this.