Building Relationships
We all have people we are close to. Many of us have lifelong friends from school, work, or other places. You have likely even built a strong connection to some of your customers over the years. But at one point we didn’t know who they were, they were just strangers to us before. All the people you're close to, your friends, your co-workers, and even your spouse, started out as strangers to you in the beginning. You may not think about it too often, but there was a process that took place before they became who they are for you now.
What is that process? How can you make the most of that next encounter? How do you go from being strangers to friends?
Below is our list of relationship-building techniques:
Swap questions
More than just asking questions, which is one-sided, swapping questions requires engagement from both parties.
If a customer asks you a question, like ‘Where are you from?’, make sure to ask them too!
Show genuine interest
Showing genuine interest can be done through your behaviors.
The way you listen, the way you react, and the questions you ask, all play a significant role in showing your genuine interest.
Act politely
Think about a friend you’re close to, and about the differences in how you act around them now compared to when you first met. You are probably more casual now, but when you first met, you were likely more polite.
Acting polite in the beginning is a great foundation to build on when developing a relationship with someone.
Use open body language
When we’re with friends, we are naturally more open.
With strangers, or people we are unfamiliar with, we tend to close ourselves off more.
So, beware of this and use open body language to your advantage.
Use their name
One of the best and easiest ways to develop a faster relationship with someone is to use their name.
A person’s own name is the very first word they understand. It signifies love and security, and means more to that person than any other word in the world.
So use it, and use it often. At least 5 times in every customer interaction.
Seek areas of agreement
If you have a customer that loves football, but can’t stand cricket, then don’t talk to them about cricket (even if it’s your favorite sport)!
Learn your customer’s likes and dislikes, and try to avoid topics that you know won’t go over well with them.
Show your best side
We have all done this at some point in our lives. In fact, you are probably doing it with someone in your life right now. It could be your boss, an important customer, or a new romance, but we all know how it looks when we show our best side.
Everyone has their own way of doing it, but generally, you put extra effort in all the little things, such as making sure to show up on time, opening doors for the other person, dressing a little nicer than usual, and so on.
Unconsciously, we usually show this in the beginning.
Give recognition when you see them
Recognition is one of the fundamental human needs. We all like to get it because it makes us feel significant.
If you bumped into someone you met before, just simply recognize them and say “Hi”. You’ll walk away feeling good that you had the courage to talk to them, and they’ll walk away feeling positive about the recognition they just received!