Make Prospects Feel Understood

“Most salespeople think rapport is about being friendly. It's not. It’s about making the other person feel understood.”

Over the past 20 years training thousands of sellers, I’ve learned this:

People talk to people who listen well and ask the next RIGHT question.

Here are 5 rapport-building mistakes I see all the time—and how to fix them:

1. They ask “How are you?” instead of “What’s keeping you busy today?”

 → One is polite. The other starts a real conversation.

2. They talk about themselves too soon.

 → Rapport isn’t built by telling your story—it’s about listening to theirs.

3. They miss emotional cues.

 → When someone says, “I am really stressed,” they’re giving you a gift. Mirror it. Ask about it.

4. They don’t support what was said:

 → “That’s interesting” should always be followed by: “Tell me more?” or "What is the real challenge for you there?"

5. They confuse charm with curiosity.

 → People don’t need you to be slick. They need you to be genuinely interested in what they said

If you want conversations that go deeper and lead to real deals—

 Start by actually listening to what people say, and don't say.

The rapport you build now is the trust you close with later.

Does your sales team need to get tips on building rapport and trust? 

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