How To Build Rapport With A Customer

How To Build Rapport With A Customer

Do you have a large customer base and wondering how to build a rapport with a customer?

Stay glued to this blog post as we show you how.

Relationships play an essential role in our lives as human beings.

It is what allows us to connect with people.

It determines how we, as humans, behave towards each other and how they regard each other.

However, the importance of relationships is not limited to our personal lives.

It spreads across different areas and aspects of life, some of which could be professional or business-wise.

Just as humans need to establish connections amongst each other, businesses need to build connections with their customers or clients.

The process of building this connection is known as a rapport.

This blog post will explain the meaning of rapport and how to build a rapport with a customer.

Additionally, we will consider the importance of building a rapport with customers.

What is a Customer Rapport?

A rapport is a cordial, handy, and friendly relationship where the people or groups of people involved understand each other’s feelings and thoughts.

As well as communicating with each other fluently and smoothly. 

When it comes to building a customer rapport, this involves developing a long-established relationship or connection with a customer.

This is done by having a good understanding of them through constant and effective communication.

This relationship can either be formed, of course, after some time or through conscious and deliberate efforts by the business.

Additionally, customer rapport is different from customer service.

Customer service is the conventional provision that a business offers to customers when purchases are being made.

On the other hand, customer rapport goes beyond and above.

It is the relation with customers in a rapport stretches even after they have made their purchases.

It strives to fill in any communication gap between customers and their clients.

Importance of How to Build a Rapport with a Customer 

The relationship gotten from building a rapport with a customer has several importance and benefits to the business.

Some of which are:

Increased Profits

A major benefit of building a customer rapport is that it increases businesses’ revenue and profit.

When a business has a relationship with its customers, it creates an opportunity for these customers to increase their buying and purchases.

An increase in these purchases also results in an increase in your revenue generated.

These customers also recommend your products and services to other people who could become your customers.

An increase in your customer base equals a larger amount of profits.

Good Communication

Building a customer rapport involves fluent and constant communication between businesses and their customers.

So when a business strives to build a relationship with its clients, it also creates an avenue for good communication.

An avenue where their clients can freely reach out to the business, share their experiences, views, and opinions.

It also allows the business to understand better their client’s needs, thoughts, and expectations. 

It Reduces the Risk of Losing Customers

Like we stated earlier, building a rapport allows you to understand your customers better.

When you understand your customers better and frequently communicate with them, you reduced customer attrition risks.

A situation where customers stop patronizing your business and company.

This is because, through rapport, you understand your customer’s needs, solve their problems and improve on the gaps or loopholes that could cost your customer leaving your business.

Loyalty and Retention

If you intend to build loyalty, trust, and retention with customers in business, building a rapport with customers is the best way to go about it.

This occurs when a business fully understands its customers, strives to provide for its customers’ needs, and offers great customer service.

Customers can only trust and remain loyal to a business that they have a close relationship with and a business that values them.

Builds Credibility

Through customer rapport, businesses, companies, or organizations can strengthen their customer’s credence in their products and services.

This is done by being lucid about certain information and details concerning your products and services.

Also, making sure that clients’ current and future needs are being taken care of and showing general care and concern for your customers.

Customer confidence has a positive impact on your business and the company’s finances and profits.

Improvement and Development

When you have a relationship with your customers that allows them to give you feedback, share their opinions and thoughts, you will have the opportunity to improve and develop in all areas of your business.

This is done by using this feedback and experiences from your customers as instruments for improvement on your products.

Additionally, it creates an avenue to use all your skills, knowledge, and experiences to cater to your customer’s current and future needs.

Disadvantages of not Building a Rapport with Customers

When a business does not build rapport with their customers, they are putting themselves at a disadvantage financially and amongst their competitors.

This is because a lack of relationship between you and your customer does not give room for feedback which can help you improve on your products, services, customer care relations.

Also, when a business does not have a rapport with its customers, it would constantly experience situations where customers leave after one or two purchases.

Thereby leading to a lack of customer retention and loyalty.

If a business has no rapport with its customers has no means of easily getting new customers.

This is because a customer who has a good relationship with a business would always recommend it to other people in their networks and environment.

Your profits fluctuate or reduce when you do not have a relationship with your customers.

The amount of revenue your business generates is highly dependent on your relationship with your customers.

Ways to Build a Rapport with a Customer

You might be wondering how to build a rapport with a client, especially if it is one that you intentionally hope to build.

Well, here are some tips to help you get on the right track;

Check up on them

One of the first ways to build a rapport with a customer is to reach out and check upon them.

Indeed, businesses strive to make a profit and generate revenue.

But, that does not mean that the only reason they should communicate with their customer is that they want them to make a purchase.

If businesses only reach out for the sake of purchases, customers might leave after making the purchases.

Therefore, the possibilities of retaining customers and building a relationship are very slim. 

Rather, consider checking up on your clients even after they have made their purchases.

You can do this through emails, phone calls, text messages, newsletters, and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Personalized Communication

In addition to reaching out and checking up on your customers, you must ensure that your communication with them is personal.

This means you should use a personalized approach when you talk to a customer.

To achieve this, you must keep records of your customer’s correct name and other necessary data.

This is to avoid errors that make your business appear inattentive to its customers.

Communicating with your customer using their accurate names and details creates room for rapport.

This allows you to know your customer better and relate with you personally, and more open notes.

Ask them for Feedback

Asking your customers for feedback is another way in which a rapport can be intentionally initiated. 

By asking your customers for feedback, you create an avenue for them to fully express themselves and their thoughts on your products and services.

This could be asking them what they thought of the goods they bought or services you rendered to them.

It also involves asking them what they wish you had done better and what they look out for.

This way, you are getting to understand your customer better while using their feedback as a means of improvement for your business.

Feedback also proves to a customer that their needs and opinions are respected and valued.

Give them an Insight into your Business

Allowing your clients to know more about your business is a great way to build a rapport with your customer.

Letting them know about your business means being transparent and lucid about the information and details that your customers need to know.

Information like cost, extra charges, and fees.

It also gives them an insight into what your business, company, or organization can offer and what it can not offer to them.

The last thing you want is for your customers to feel like you made promises you knew you could not keep or betrayed because you hid certain details from them.

Transparency from giving them an insight allows them to trust your business more and strengthen their confidence in your abilities.

Get to Know More About them

Just as you tell your customers about your business, you should also strive to know more about your customers.

Knowing more about your customers involves asking them about their interests, desires, and needs.

Not only does this help you to know your customer better and build a rapport.

It also helps you devise ways to implement these needs and desires in your offer’s products and services.

Oftentimes, customers feel like businesses only care about making money and nothing else, but when you engage with your customers, they feel cared for and valued.

Be Adaptable and Accommodating

When it comes to building a rapport with a customer, you must realize that your customers are different people with different personalities and ways to approach things or relate with people.

This means that a conventional method of communication or building a rapport will not work for every customer.

Hence, you must understand this and be ready to devise means and communication styles that allow you to accommodate these clients and build a rapport with them equally with anyone feeling left out.

Good Customer Service

Customer service is not all that building a customer rapport entails, but it is a key step to building a rapport with a customer.

When you have highly trained and qualified customer service support, you are on the right part to building a relationship with your customers.

Prioritize the Needs of your Clients

Do you want to build a rapport with your clients?

If yes, then you must prioritize their needs.

They are customers because they have needs that they are looking to meet and fulfill by patronizing your business.

Therefore, the best way to win them over is to make sure that you look for ways and methods to ensure that the needs of that customer are met.

Especially at the time when the client needs it.

Offer Assistance and Solutions

Sometimes, your customers’ needs might be a problem or issue that needs to be rectified and solved.

Hence, you need to make that problem a priority as though it were yours.

This could be by asking them to give you full details of the problem and providing your best assistance and follow up until the issue is solved completely. 

When you solve a customer’s problem, you allow building a relationship with them, other than unsolved issues can cause a client to leave your business.

Politeness and Respect

Nobody wants to interact or build a relationship with a person or people who are discourteous or rude. 

Hence, you should always treat your customers calmly and patiently with respect, courtesy, and consideration. 

This way, customers would easily give you an audience whenever you decide to reach out to them.

Empathy

Empathy plays an important role in rapport building.

It includes showing customers care and understanding whenever they reach out to you to lay a complaint or resolve a problem.

Empathy allows you to build trust and confidence in the minds of your customers as you share your concern and understanding of their feelings and emotional states.

Listen without Interrupting

Listen to your customers always, even when they are very upset or being rude.

Listening involves paying close and undivided attention to your client’s complaints.

Also, allowing them to voice out their feelings and disappointment without feeling the need to interrupt them.

It also has to do with looking past the clients’ emotions to understand their problems or disappointment.

Listening could be active, reflective, and emphatic.

Apologize

Knowing when and how to render an apology to a client will go a long way in helping you build a rapport.

This is essential in situations where your client is unhappy, displeased, and upset. 

An apology shows that you regret the situation that has caused your clients to feel this way and that you would take the step to ensure that you provide a solution to the problem at hand.

Appreciate your Customers

Always show appreciation to your customers.

After all, they are the reasons why your business is still running, and your profits are being made.

Appreciating customers could be done by offering them discounts, promo opportunities, or gifts. 

When the customer is appreciated, they feel happy and seen by the business.

Customers who are constantly being appreciated would always stick around.

Constant Follow-Up

Another essential tip is to follow up on all the listed tips above constantly.

This is because building a rapport intentionally or naturally takes a lot of time and effort.

Clients would not trust you or build a rapport with you just after the first call or the first feedback that you requested from them.

Therefore you must ensure that it is a constant practice with your business.

Questions to ask when  Building a Rapport with a Customer

Here are some polite gestures (questions) that promote good customer rapport in business.

  • May I ask what your name is, Ma’am/Sir?
  • Could you tell me where you are calling from?
  • How is the weather at XXX today?
  • How may I/We be of help to you today?
  • Have you ever encountered any challenges while using our products and services? If you have, what are those challenges? 
  • How do you think we can improve on our products and services?
  • What do you like about our products and services?
  • What do you look out for when you patronize a business?
  • If you could wish for something from us, what would that be?
  • What kind of products and services interest you?
  • Tell us your preferred method of delivery?
  • What is your best way can keep in touch with you?
  • Do you prefer to make payments in cash or with your debit card?
  • What are your thoughts about XXX?
  • Do our products and services help you attain satisfaction?
  • What is preventing you from making your next purchase?
  • How did you find out about us?
  • What was your first experience while patronizing us like?
  • How did our customer service team/staff attend to you?
  • Did you find our self-help guides useful?

Conclusion on How to Build Rapport with a Customer

There is the constant establishment of new businesses and fast-growing competition amongst this business.

Building a rapport is the best way to retain your customers and build loyalty with them.

Overall, customer rapport determines the level of output and profits your business can achieve.