The Key to Virtual Rapport Building
How To Break The Ice & Get To Know Prospects Through A Computer Screen
I used to rely on in person events to help me build my network of clients to help out for business. Much like the rest of us, transitioning online wasn’t that simple. I was lost, trying to find my footing on how to translate the human element of meeting prospects online. How did I translate in person pitches to the digital sphere? Well, I guess I would sum it up with one word — rapport.
Building rapport can be simple and flow more naturally than it appears. You basically approach people with a well-balanced mix of confidence and curiosity, just like your favourite cocktail — too much liquid courage would make it too strong, while too little will get you chugging way more than you intended to.
The virtual counterpart of dressing smart and perfecting that handshake to eye contact ratio is creating a profile that instantly tells people who you are and what you’re amazing at.
Once you hit that connect button, you’re going to want to mentally prepare yourself to pair up that confidence with curiosity. What is the number one telltale sign of curiosity? Asking high value questions. To make things extra easy for you, I’ve listed down my top five questions to ask when you’re getting to know someone for business partnerships based on their lead temperatures (or how well they know who you are and what you’re capable of).
Top 5 Questions to Ask Cold Leads (or total strangers)
1. “What makes you feel alive nowadays?”
2. “Ideally, how would you prefer to spend your weekends?”
3. “If you were to pick an entrance song for every time you walked into a room, what would it be?”
4. “How do you celebrate <holiday> in your hometown?”
5. “What can you tell me about <their country> that most tourists won’t know about?”
Top 5 Questions to Ask Warm Leads (or people who know you and probably have a pretty good idea about what you do)
1. “How are you currently thriving through the pandemic?”
2. “What <movie/song/book/show> would you recommend for <business inspiration/inspiration/etc>?”
3. “If your <life or business> was a <movie/song/food> which one would it be?”
4. “What kind of impact do you wish you could make with your business/job?”
5. “What kind of superpower do you think your business could use right now?”
There you go. Now that you’ve got the cheat sheet, all you’ve got to do is play your cards and not mess it up. Now, go out there and show them what you’re capable of! After all, what could possibly go wrong?
For an extra guide on how to use these questions, I’ve demonstrated how to deliver them along with other high-value questions in Conversion Conversations: How To Establish & Nurture Business Relationships.
