Understanding the Importance of Rapport in Sales
People can be a bit funny sometimes, and nobody likes feeling like theyâre being sold to. Itâs happened to me more times than Iâd like to admit - sitting through a sales call with someone who keeps talking about themselves and their product without asking about what I need. Even if Iâm interested in the product, I end up wanting to leave because it feels like theyâve forgotten that thereâs a human on the other side of the conversation. Everyone wants to feel heard and understood, especially when theyâre handing over their hard-earned money.
Sure, you might know that your solution can help them, but when someone doesnât feel like you care about their needs or struggles, theyâll hesitate before taking action. Itâs quite natural to want to interact with people who are friendly and personable, which is why rapport is so important in sales. Building rapport in sales can help you keep your audience engaged for longer and allow them to express interest more naturally - because nothing feels worse than being forced into something you donât want to do.
By taking the time to listen to your customersâ needs and pain points, youâre showing them that you care about what really matters - helping them find solutions for their problems. Rapport in sales also helps establish trust in your organisation so itâs easier for prospects to reach out again if something goes wrong. As businesses become increasingly digital-first, most salespeople rely on live demos rather than in-person meetings.
And while this can make the process much easier, it also comes with the added risk of not being able to read the body language of your prospect. To combat these risks, certain live demo features can be used by sales teams as effective communication tools that foster deeper connections with prospects by building instant rapport through digital screens.
Feature 1: Interactive Q&A Sessions
Weâve all been there - youâre in a live online presentation, polite and full of questions, but no oneâs asking what you want to know. Itâs all so frustrating, right. And yet you sit through to the end - hand raised.
Because it feels sort of rude to just leave the meeting or the session. Thatâs where interactive Q&A sessions come into play. I think theyâre the best part of online presentations, which can otherwise be quite dull and uninspiring.
These interactive sessions are more than just a way for people to ask questions. Theyâre a great way for presenters and brands to build trust with their viewers and potential customers. Live Q&A sessions help break the ice and make people feel comfortable. Thereâs a sort of comfort in being able to talk directly to brands in real time.
Viewers tend to appreciate these online sessions because they get answers, see how brands interact with customers, and how effectively their concerns are resolved. The great thing about these sessions is almost never that they help brands build credibility and empathy with audiences.
At times when thereâs such stiff competition from other businesses, these interactive moments show them that your brand is approachable, trustworthy, and willing to listen.
Feature 2: Real-Time Feedback Mechanisms
Looks Like do you recall a time when you found yourself waiting at a counter, awkwardly not knowing if someone had noticed you or your coffee order. Youâve spotted the barista and heâs spotted you but thereâs not so much as a nod to acknowledge your existence. How long are you going to stand there.
Should you hang around for a bit or come back later. More or less. This little exchange is apparently simple but it determines whether or not youâre ever coming back.
As much as we would like to believe that our everyday human interactions have no effect on our experiences, they have everything to do with them. Thereâs an almost unspoken social contract with regards to what is and isnât ok in terms of in-person communication, and it should be no different online. I mean, what would happen if you asked someone a question and they stood there for two minutes before replying.
If I was that person, Iâd walk away and maybe tell someone about it later. Not only does it make for bad business, it also makes for bad relationships. And thatâs what live demos are apparently about - building trust and forging relationships with prospects and customers alike.
When someone takes out the time to attend your live demo, itâs imperative that you offer them feedback in real-time. It doesnât matter whether itâs through polls, chats or surveys, so long as they know theyâve been heard. These little mechanisms can have lasting effects on the quality of relationships that brands have with their customers. Apart from making the experience more interactive and engaging, real-time feedback mechanisms are also an excellent opportunity to learn.
You get to make decisions and changes on the go to make sure your prospects feel heard throughout the session and know that their opinions matter.
Feature 3: Personalized Product Recommendations
When customers walk into a physical store, the sales staff can make suggestions about what the customer might like based on what they are buying, and what other customers have liked in the past. A truly skilled salesperson can even use their intuition to understand the types of colours, styles or sizes that would suit a particular customer. But when selling online, it is almost impossible to replicate these aspects of an in-person shopping experience. Each customer probably has hundreds of product options on your website, which can overwhelm them and cause them to buy nothing at all.
Now if you could show your customers the right products, it increases the chances that they will purchase. With live demos and digital product recommendations you can get as close as possible to replicating real-world shopping experiences. Take advantage of AI and machine learning algorithms that will collect data from your shoppersâ preferences and behaviours so that you can suggest relevant products during live demos.
All of this will help keep your customers engaged in your demo while making them more likely to want to buy something from you because now they feel like they have lots of choices but none of those choices are overwhelming.
Feature 4: Engaging Visual Presentations
Letâs be fair, there are slightly some topics that are difficult to demonstrate. A compelling or engaging live demonstration is always more interesting to watch than a Powerpoint presentation- which are too often more snooze inducing than a bedtime story. Thereâs something about putting your product out there and having the gumption to show it off in front of a room full of strangers. It takes courage but if youâre committed to engaging your audience and getting them on your side, it can work wonders.
Some people have developed such confidence that their presentations appear seamless with visuals, demonstrations and even humour thrown in for good measure. This is where good product knowledge comes into play. When youâre familiar with every aspect of what youâre presenting and are able to answer questions that come up during a visual demonstration, it inspires confidence.
People buy from those they like so if you have the rapport of the audience on your side, it makes the process easier for everyone involved. Having said this, not everyone gets better at presentations over time. In fact, I do know someone who just froze mid-conversation at her last live demo due to nerves - despite years of experience she still struggles with public speaking at times.
So if you donât get any sales during your first couple of tries â fear not. Thereâs much more to it than just having an engaging presentation, sometimes it's luck too.
Feature 5: Seamless Integration with Social Proof
I Believe everyoneâs been to at least one dinner party where nobody knows anybody and thereâs this eerie lull in the conversation. Itâs awkward, to say the least. You donât want to be the one who starts discussing the weather, but it feels like all the guests forgot how to socialise the minute they entered the room. And then someone cracks a joke and brings everyone together.
Sometimes it can be that simple. The art of selling is all about being able to do that on command, every time. You can stand there as the subject-matter expert with a fantastic product in your hands and still struggle to make a sale if your audience doesn't trust you.
Establishing trust can be difficult when you have five seconds before your audience zones out or skips past your content altogether. If they do stay, it might be out of a sense of obligation because they donât want to come off as rude - not because they're interested in what you have to say. The good news is that most audiences are more willing to listen if they see that others are interested in what you have to say.
There is something reassuring about knowing that your ideas are accepted by others and are not outlandish or silly. Knowing that there are people who are open to your opinions even when they don't always agree with them is apparently sometimes all it takes for people to lower their guard and listen. On platforms like live demos where their interaction would be visible, some people might just sit back and listen for fear of ridicule. But when they see others are also sharing their thoughts, and everyone seems genuinely interested, theyâd likely feel safer joining in as well.
I think most people understand that social proof doesn't mean a product or an idea is objectively good. Sometimes it's enough for it to mean it's not bad or embarrassing enough for people to get defensive about it from the get-go.