Partner Article

Are you “Rapport ready”?

Rapport building over the telephone may sound easy to do but understanding why you need to do this will help you understand how to get what it is you need from your callers.

Lack, or absence, of rapport will fundamentally affect the outcome of any conversation. If you are taking calls from your customers or potential customers you need to be “rapport ready” and this includes your staff also.

Telephone conversations in call centres are a prime example of how rapport can help the outcome. You may have a limited time to allocate to your caller so you need to use that time effectively to get the information you need to be able to provide the best service or make that big sale. Building good rapport will help you get the best from your caller and get the best for your business.

You do not need to become “best friends” with your caller but creating a comfortable ‘state’ where all parties converse freely and comfortably will relax the caller and they will become more receptive to you. If a customer feels they are being handled “comfortably” they will enjoy the experience of dealing with your company.

Here are some tips for creating good rapport.

Open the call with a smile
Smile when you dial- this is a term often used in a call centre environment but it can be applied to inbound or outbound calls. In simple terms, smile whilst you take your call, the customer will feel it!

Start the conversation with a ’warm up’
A simple question that will let your caller know you are human! This could be ‘how is your day so far?’ or ‘how is the weather where you are today? Better than here, I hope!’ Most people will respond to you in a friendly manner and it helps to relax you and your caller by ‘breaking the ice’. This can be used as “fillers” when you are searching your database for information or getting the latest price list up.

Listen well
Avoid distractions and allow yourself to concentrate on your caller and their conversation. They may be calling to enquire about your products or services or even to place an order.

Let the caller know you are listening
Let the caller know you are listening by responding with gentle and soft ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ as they speak (verbal nods). Allow the caller to finish what they are saying if you interrupt, your caller could become frustrated. This is especially important if you are taking a complaint from a customer!

Use words that your caller uses
Use words that your caller uses in their conversation, especially any adjectives – the words they use to describe something. They have chosen to use the words, so they have a relevance to the content, an alternative word may not have the same meaning for them. Never correct your caller if they use a term that is incorrect for your service or product.

Show empathy with your caller
To show empathy means to share in another’s emotions, thoughts, or feelings, and is a great way of building rapport. Empathy can be shown by using phrases such as: ‘I completely understand what you mean’. ‘I can see where you are coming from’.

Be yourself and relax
If you are uptight or trying to be someone or something you are not, it will act as a barrier to building rapport. Relax.

Be friendly
Be friendly. Remaining professional and courteous does not mean you cant be friendly. This is easily achieved by showing an interest in your caller’s conversation and by taking the time to deal with them correctly.

Enjoy! You could make the next call you take the biggest order of the year.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rachel Barnes .