From Dictionary.com:
Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity.
Put simply, the customer must like you. In the real world, you can build Rapport in some really simple ways. Smiling, eye contact, making the effort to learn their name, and even something as simple as initiating a handshake can all build rapport with your customer.
But I can’t do any of those things! Here’s what you’ve got to do to build rapport with your customer. You have to earn their trust. You can do this by showing that you’re not out for a quick buck, but truly do want to help them. You can do this by having nothing to hide. No hiding affiliate links. Don’t be a news spout. Make each article personal. If I want the news, I go to CNN. If I want to participate in a conversation, I go to your site.
The key word in building a rapport with your customer is Trust. If they can’t trust you, they aren’t going to buy from you. They aren’t going to click on your ad banners. They aren’t going to come back. And you aren’t going to make much money.
If you do build a rapport with your customer (reader), you’ll gain their trust. And the next time you give an honest review of a product that you’re excited about, they’ll buy it from you. And you will make money.
How do you build a rapport with your customer? Join our conversation and share how.
About Shane Ede
Notice how you ended this posting about building rapport with a question? I think this alone is one of the best ways to develop a more personal relationship with your readers. Make your commentors feel as though they are involved with your site, and a new level of trust will be created 😀
@Jim:
For sure. One of the later posts this week talks more about the use of questions in the sales process. And while the question at the end of this post doesn’t necessarily fit the bill, it does serve a similar purpose.