Hook: You've generated a lead, scheduled the call, and now what do you do?

You need to nail your first impression. But how do you quickly build rapport on an intro sales call?

Bridge: Real rapport isn’t just built by small talk, its actually by showing them that you really understand your prospect's problem and by positioning yourself as an expert.

Context: With my last company Order Solutions our target market was the world’s largest restaurant chains and one key attribute to our success was learning how to build rapport with prospects quickly and learning how to create authority positioning.

Main Content: So how can you build more rapport and close more enterprise deals?

Here are 7 key steps that will make things so much easier for you.

Step 1: Do Your Homework.

Go into every call prepared. You might want to go on LinkedIn and see if you have any mutual connections.

You might want to read their press releases, earnings call transcripts if their public, see if there is a recent podcast you can listen to with the person you’re going to be speaking with

People love talking about themselves so you want to be ready to compliment them and be able to show them you’ve done your homework

Step 2: Take The Lead.

The students don’t lead the class the teacher does. Same thing when we are selling.

When a prospect leads a sales call, your authority diminishes.

Step 3: Be the Expert.

Know your industry, product or service inside and out. Know your competitors, know what makes you better

Know the problem you solve better than your prospect and you will be perceived as an expert

Step 4: Share Intriguing Insights.

When I used to do sales calls I'd share insights by asking questions like Did you know that are restaurants missing about 50% of their calls? Do you how much revenue that’s costing large chains per year? Do you know how many calls you’re missing? This gets them to think and come to thier own conclusion that they have a real problem and its costing them real money.

When you’re able to offer intriguing insights like this they look at you as an expert and want youre recommendations.

It goes from being a sales call to a consulting call.

Step 5: Master the Art of Listening.

While it's essential to lead, it's equally vital to listen. Listening trump's speaking. It’s not just about respecting their input but gathering information to help tailor your pitch effectively. So listen closely for clues.

Step 6: Bring in Back Up.

In sophisticated selling, you sometimes get questions that are technical and you might not know all of the answers. So bring in back up having a technical or operational person, or whatever department you need on standby or the call itself boosts confidence and displays your company's depth.

Step 7: Structured Approach.

Have an agenda, be prepared with a presentation deck if necessary, send a summary email post-call, and ensure you follow-up. These steps not only build rapport but also to show that your professional.

Apply this in your business today and watch what happens. Now if you want more help with this. I’ve got a free guide that will help you implement this. You get free instant access by clicking the link below.