Creating an Emotional Connection with Prospects
By Curtis Brown, Tier 1 Leadership Consulting
Establishing an emotional connection with prospects is fundamental to a successful client relationship. Did you know that according to the latest findings in neuroscience about 80% of buying decisions are based on emotion; and only 20% are based on logic?
An emotional bond or connection starts with understanding your prospect and establishing a rapport. You begin by getting the prospect to talk about themselves very early in the first meeting. By doing so, you are trying to understand them and what’s important to them. What are they passionate about? How dd they become successful?
You can ask about their family and what they do for fun? Try to determine if there is common ground or shared interests between you and the prospect. People want to do business with people that they like and with whom they have something in common.
Until you have rapport, you do not have permission to pitch or persuade a prospect.
As a financial advisor, I always enjoyed going to a prospect’s home or place of business. This gave me an opportunity to observe pictures, art work or plaques on the walls, photos and other items on their desks. I was able to glean a sense of how they lived.
You can turn these observations into conversations. Use some of this information in future conversations with a prospect. You will be able to see where they went to school, their participation in volunteer activities, sports they enjoy, indications of lifestyle, awards and achievements.
Determine where there may be some common ground. For example, they coach little league baseball, and you coach soccer. The common ground is that you both enjoy working with kids. Both your children and those of the prospect might play sports. You can discuss their experiences. The prospect might volunteer at the museum, and you volunteer with the local symphony. The common ground is that you both are patrons of the arts and care about your community.
Remember, seeking common ground is a foundational step in developing a strong client relationship. Take time to build a strong foundation, it will pay strong dividends over time.
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