Comments on: Building Rapport on the Phone

By: Augie

Augie — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:58:46 +0000

You are right on target. When you don’t have to focus on what you’re going to say you can be a more attentive and effective listener.

Happy investing!

Augie

By: Tim Charles

Tim Charles — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:08:15 +0000

Yes indeed it is a skill to talk to and establish rapport with somebody on the phone. Recording a phone conversation is one way to check if you need to modulate your voice or talk faster or slower.

By: James

James — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:55:26 +0000

It is about memorizing the script then after that, you can have a stronger way of communicating on the phone by deviating from the script and including some things that will not make the call boring.

By: Paige

Paige — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:39:27 +0000

Just to comment on Steve S’ response, I also experience that when I was working for a small sales & company agency. At first, I really had to rely to the scripts. It was really difficult making adlibs but eventually I got the hang of it and was able to adapt to the situation of the call.

By: Paige Potts

Paige Potts — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:10:22 +0000

Excellent article on building rapport on the phone! I have employed the techniques you have mentioned for many years now and they are definitely the cornerstone of my success. If people do not establish rapport with you, nothing good will come out of a call, a one time opportunity you have with people. Thank you for putting up the importance of voice personality in business and sales.

By: Augie

Augie — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:47:38 +0000

Attitude is a critical part of everything we do from how we visualize outcomes, to how we view others. It prevents up from jumping to conclusions and affects how we are perceived by others. Project an attitude of gratitude and it can work wonders in the realm of building rapport over the phone and everywhere else!

To your success…

Augie

By: Procera

Procera — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:36:52 +0000

I think you give some great tips here for how to build rapport over the phone. One thing that helped me though was when I switched my attitude.

Initially I could be qiute negative when cold calling a prospect. I would already be visualizing all of the potetial issues that could crop up and how difficult the call may be. However, a succesful collegue told me before every call they visualize the outcome they wanted at the end of the call. Initially I was skeptical but it is amazing the difference it can make when you have a visual image in your mind of where you want the call to go.

I found it easier to overcome objections and even had the confidence to ask outright (in a respectful manner) what was holding the prospect back. This avoided me just going through the motions and actually having a goal at the end of the call.

Of course not every call was successful, but I found using this simple method enbled me to build a rapport and establish a relationship in a more natural way without sounding needy or desperate.

By: Epilator Reviews

Epilator Reviews — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:55:40 +0000

Julie writes
“This is good info. For anyone interested in taking things and developing their communication and rapport skills I would highly recommend going on a course in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP).”

I second this, NLP is the ultimate communication course.

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:16:49 +0000

I must say that it’s a great article! I think many people have problems Building Rapport on the Phone, will you create a video on the topic? (you really should)

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 06:00:43 +0000

This is good info. For anyone interested in taking things and developing their communication and rapport skills I would highly recommend going on a course in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). I did a course in this a few years ago and it will definitely help you master these skills (and much more!).

By: Donald

Donald — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:05:00 +0000

Thanks for the great info. I work in sales, and over the past few years I have really come to understand how people’s impressions of you can truly make or break a deal. Sometimes we may feel silly recording ourselves or practicing our conversation skills, but these type of things really do work as they can help you notice things about yourself.

I am always trying to improve my rapport with clients, and I will definitely try some of your suggestions.

By: Augie

Augie — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:40:09 +0000

Thanks Boris!

By: Boris Elias

Boris Elias — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:57:59 +0000

I’m a business man. I ran a heating ,ventilation, and air condition service. So it’s really important for me to build a good impression to my clients even when speaking into the phone. This site is really a good help especially for those who are still trying to build good camaraderie to their clients. Great job Augie!

By: Steve S.

Steve S. — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 23:05:52 +0000

I had to laugh at the last of your article when you mention:

“Scripts are a critical tool for communicating but if you can’t build rapport with your prospect, knowing all the scripts in the world won’t help you to be successful.”

I remember my first attempts at “selling” over the phone. I was so dependent on the scripts that it was a real disaster if I lost my place or the person on the other end of the phone took me off in an unexpected direction. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it was from their end!

Fortunately, those days are over, but it certainly doesn’t mean I am not still learning things from great sources such as your article.

By: Rebecca Wolf

Rebecca Wolf — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:04:16 +0000

I have been thinking about purposefully changing the pitch of my voice because it is so low, I have a hard time being heard in noisy settings. You have given me some excellent food for thought in my decision, especially that it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing change but can be adapted as needed. Thank you!

By: andy

andy — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:58:00 +0000

In my role as Director of Senior Studies for a High school I am so aware of the importance of how your voice is used and can only echo your sentiments entirely.
I do have dealings with people over the phone(parents, local businesses etc) but most of my time is spent addressing large gatherings of 16-18 year olds, often giving lectures and tutorials.
However over the phone or talking to people face to face your thoughts still apply.
If you cannot capture your audience and engage them by the use of your voice then you can have all the gadgets,gizmos and powerpoints in the world and it won’t make a jot of difference. The students will switch off(customers for a business person) and you’ll really struggle.

By: Augie

Augie — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:05:31 +0000

The goal is to locate motivated people, our dialogue is designed to be intentional so don’t forget your goal. If we are building rapport and gathering pertinent information which allows toy to assess motivation we’re making progress. However, if they withhold information. are belligerent there is no need to stay in an unproductive conversation. Simply say, as much as I’d like to buyyour house, I don’t believe we’ll be able to work together. Thank you, and leave… One of two things will happen, 1 is they let you go or they have a change of tune and call you back and start a more meaningful dialogue.

By: Jamison

Jamison — Mon, 23 May 2011 18:27:31 +0000

Phone skills are definitely a dying art. However my question is similar to the one asked by Staircases. At what point do you decide or realize that the conversation is leading nowhere and give it up? Are there some clues to look for?

-J

By: Augie

Augie — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:06:10 +0000

While you can’t get blood from a stone, when talking with sellers it pays to get a handle on their motivation. If they aren’t motivated then moving on makes sense. One tip that has helped many of my students is to follow up a couple of weeks later and you might find that time or circumstance may have changed their situation.

Last month, two of my students followed up within 30 days and both found the sellers had both reversed their hard-nosed position and both students completed successful subject to transactions. Each with significant profits. So may a note in your calendar to follow up, you never know what changes lie ahead.

Happy investing…

Augie

By: Staircases

Staircases — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:57:19 +0000

Augie, when having to cold call someone and they plainly don’t want to speak, is it best to end the conversation and just try to build a rapport with those who, at the very least, sound slightly interested in speaking to you?

By: Augie

Augie — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:57:51 +0000

There is an RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of the homepage right next to the little blue Twitter bird. Click on the orange and white button and you should be good to go!!

To your success…

Augie

By: Augie

Augie — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:50:39 +0000

Simply click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of the homepage (its right next to the little blue Twitter bird) That will subscribe you! You are also welcome to subscribe to my newsletter, The Intellectual Capital Report. Thanks for visiting.

To your success…

Augie

By: Evelyn Tippery

Evelyn Tippery — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:01:40 +0000

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By: rentcabins

rentcabins — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:55:52 +0000

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By: Augie

Augie — Sun, 02 May 2010 18:31:37 +0000

I share this information so that people may benefit from it. Please feel free to pass it along to others. You can always point them to this blog or suggest they subscribe for e-mail up date or RSS feed. Glad you liked it.

By: Devika

Devika — Sat, 01 May 2010 22:58:40 +0000

Really like this post! Lots of great practical tips for building rapport. I am a trainer. Can I use this information with staff in my training? Please confirm if I have permission to do so. Thanks

By: Augie

Augie — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 01:47:07 +0000

Thanks for your input!

By: Summerhourses

Summerhourses — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:24:04 +0000

Great post, it always interesting to read about different views on using the phone as a business tool. It is often the case what people expect them to say such as hard selling does not work or that you should do other certain things but this is a refreshing read.

By: Augie

Augie — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:54:19 +0000

History has proven time an again, proper planning prevents poor performance. Be ready and be engaged. Happy investing!

By: Garden Sheds

Garden Sheds — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:52:08 +0000

Great post. Its always difficult to build a rapport when talking to someone over the phone and trying to sale or develop business. I like how your post really promotes the importance of preparation.

By: My Phone Cell

My Phone Cell — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:06:43 +0000

Well, since it’s much smaller than a video camera, I think it’s more useful when you don’t have much time, but you want to record something

By: Will

Will — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:07:16 +0000

Thank you. I really liked your tips in your Establish a Rapport section.

By: Augie

Augie — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 04:47:41 +0000

Greg-

Thank you very much for the comment. I really appreciate the response. It’s nice to obtain agreement from the readers.

By: Greg Woodley

Greg Woodley — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:42:33 +0000

Hi,
I was a B2B salesman for many years and sold lots of big orders over the phone (not really the done thing) and I did it by using many of the skills you mention in this article.
All your readers should take note because this stuff works.
Greg