Debra Kasowski

3 Secrets to Taking the Shark Bite Out of Building Rapport

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Getting to know people is an essential part being heart-centred entrepreneur. People first philosophy then discover possibilities. Sad to say that there are many sharks out their in the blue waters of being an entrepreneur that need to learn this lesson. I think this is where some of the car sales people get a bad rap. Instead of finding out what you want and what your needs are, they have eyes like a slot machines and suddenly the Cheshire grin appears and they are ready to yell “JACKPOT”.

Building rapport is crucial in business and the first impression happens in the snap of a finger. Have you been at an event where people naturally gravitate to a certain individual? Some people have the natural gift of the gab and others have a charisma that has magnetic powers. I bet you wonder what it is that they have that you don’t. But you do have it – it is already inside of you.

There are 3 secrets you must know:

Personalize. Use the person’s name you are speaking to throughout the conversation as appropriate. People love the sound of their name. Remember a person’s name especially if you have met before makes a person feel important and that your last interaction mattered and you were listening.

No selling! Building rapport is about building relationships; it is not about closing a sale. It is about building the know, like, and trust factor. How do you do that? Get to know the person you are speaking to as a person behind the business not business first. Discover a common interest: family, line of work, education, extra curricular activities, travel, or pets.

Give without tracking who has done what. You know the saying, “If I scratch your back, you will scratch mine.” It doesn’t work that way in business. If you are always tracking what you do for someone, they will not feel that you are doing it to help them, instead they will think you have a hidden agenda. Be transparent. Learn what some of their challenges are, perhaps you can make a referral to someone in your network or send them an article of interest. The transaction should be, “What is in it for them?”

The people you interact with may not be your customers but they do have a network of their own in which someone may be a right fit. As they get to know you and know that you are not just after a sale, they will refer you to others.

Wouldn’t you rather be known for the knowledge and skills you possess versus being a shark on the kill?

 

 

  1. No selling!

How to Make the Sale Without Being Salesy

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We are all in sales-selling ourselves out in the world. Selling is a relationship between the seller and the prospect. Selling doesn’t have to sound like a dirty word. I do not like high-pressure sales, gimmicks, or tricks to get the sale. I do like to study salespeople when I go into showrooms to see if they create relationships with their customers. I want to know if there truly listening to hear what their prospects needs and wants are. A salesperson should be able to answer the question, “What’s in it for them?” before looking for the sale.

As a customer, I do not want to walk into a store or show room looking like I am walking dollar bill that needs to be collected. A couple weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon, my husband and I were out vehicle shopping and when we came to the number crunching time and were negotiating the offer, we had for different salespeople sit in the chair before us trying to get the sale. One of the sales persons was even going to throw in a Wii console for my children to have in the car. I did not purchase a vehicle there. I am still looking for what I want.

This is where active listening plays such an important role in getting a sale without being salesy.  When you were actively listening to your prospects or your customers you are in fact building a relationship and gaining a better understanding of their wants and needs and how you can be the key to fulfilling that.

Active listening also involves asking the right questions.  Here are some examples of active listening techniques as well as some ideas of what questions you should be asking.

Active listening:

  •  be present and focus in on your prospect or customer
  •  smile and maintain eye contact
  •  nod if appropriate when responding to conversation
  •  listen and hear the words that are being said

Asking the Right Questions:

  •  ask your prospect or customer what they are looking for -get a clear picture
  •  probe for more detail if necessary
  •  discover their goals and challenges – what experience are they hoping to have
  •  what are the features and benefits for your customer
  •  discover a common interest which makes you relatable to the customer

Active listening and asking the right questions makes your prospect and customer feel that they are important to you and that you value their business and and appreciate their time.  and Create conversations around service and meeting your customers needs.   your prospect or customer may make the decision to go through with the purchase and sometimes you may ask the sale.  When you use conversation, you can get to the sale without pressure, without gimmick,s or tricks.  Be real. Remember your time is valuable to why not  use it to serve others in a big way.

If at First You Do Not Succeed, Believe!

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Have you ever had the burning feeling in your gut that you are here for a greater purpose? Have you made mistakes but have course corrected? Have you learned from your mistakes? If you have said, “YES!” to any of the previous questions you are on your way to success. First, you are must not give up on something you know you are here to do. Secondly, if you have course corrected to get back on track you have an awareness of what works and want doesn’t work – you have an instinct. Finally, you have learned from the greatest lessons – your mistakes. Your experiences teach you the most about what you have to know about survival. The trial and error, the risk taking, and the due diligence before taking action all have brought you to this point. However, the number 1 secret to a person’s success is their ability to believe in what they do and what they offer.

Believe You Will Succeed!

You can try, yes try,- to sell someone something you don’t believe in – this is called “push sales”, “I am in this the money and not for your interest.” If you would not give the same advice or sell something to your family and friends, why would you try to sell it to others? You must be in alignment with your personal values and what is important to you in order to have fulfillment and succeed. 

  1. Develop your confidence and competence by learning all the benefits of what your product or service does for others.
  2. Set goals that you can achieve. Convince yourself – “I can do this!”
  3. Gather testimonials from people who have tried or used your products or services.
  4. Continue evaluate, take action, and repeat until you get the results that you want.
  5. Ask for feedback from others. Course Correct!
  6. Tap into your intuition and knowing that you are here to change the world – BELIEVE!
  7. Manage your fears. Use the energy you feel to make decisions.
  8. Always give your best!
  9. Celebrate your successes or WINS!
“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you are not.” Anonymous

When you believe you can achieve great things, you will. You need to shift your mindset and believe in your talents and abilities. Opportunities do not show up for no reason! 

Handling Objections with Lori Raudnask

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Lori Raudnask share tips on how to handle sales objections with Debra Kasowski.

One of the most important s to do when handling a sales objection is to always acknowledge what your client is objecting to. For instance, if someone has an objection say: thank you for sharing, I appreciate that, so you think the price is too high. Always come into their world first and find out the reason why they are objecting.

Ask a question. For example -“So the price is too high. I appreciate that. What have you compared it to?” Really go into their world and ask a question, it will give you time to build more rapport with your  client and close that sale.