The best rapport opportunities are easy to miss.
Your student is thinking about the pitch.
That wasn't small talk.
That was an invitation to learn more about the person.
Kolby listens for the human part of the conversation.
They say something personal
The prospect naturally mentions something about their life, family, work, interests, plans or circumstances.
Kolby recognizes it
Kolby identifies that statement as an opportunity to build a genuine connection.
Kolby gives them the next question
Instead of telling the student what to say about themselves, Kolby suggests an open-ended question that keeps the prospect talking.
The student learns more
Now the conversation goes somewhere it wouldn't have gone otherwise.
People give you clues all conversation long.
“My wife and I just had our first baby.”
→ “How has life changed since becoming parents?”
“I've been with the company almost 20 years.”
→ “What has kept you there for so long?”
“We just moved here from Chicago.”
→ “What brought you out here?”
“I usually spend my weekends golfing.”
→ “How did you get into golf?”
“We're heading to Italy this summer.”
→ “What made you guys choose Italy?”
“My daughter is graduating this year.”
→ “What's she thinking about doing after graduation?”
“Sorry about the barking. That's our new puppy.”
→ “What kind of puppy did you get?”
“We're actually getting married in October.”
→ “How's the wedding planning going?”
“I'm retiring at the end of the year.”
→ “What are you looking forward to most about retirement?”
Rapport isn't having the perfect line. It's being interested enough to ask another question.
Bad rapport coaching teaches salespeople to memorize things to say.
Rapport Builder does something different.
It helps them recognize what the other person just gave them and encourages them to learn more.
“Tell them you like baseball too.”
“What position does your son play?”
“Tell them you've been to Texas.”
“What are you most excited about with the move?”
“Talk about your own kids.”
“What is your daughter planning to study?”
The prospect talks more. The salesperson learns more.
Kolby doesn't just find something personal. It helps them open it up.
The goal isn't to generate another yes-or-no question.
Kolby looks for opportunities to suggest questions that invite the prospect to explain, describe, remember or share.
“Do you like living there?”
“What do you like most about living there?”
“Are you excited about retirement?”
“What are you looking forward to most about retirement?”
“Does your daughter like college?”
“What has your daughter enjoyed most about college?”
Don't just keep the conversation going. Open the conversation up.
You can teach rapport. Kolby helps them practice it on every call.
You can teach students to slow down.
But once they're actually on the call, you aren't sitting beside them.
Kolby is.
When a rapport opportunity happens, Kolby can help the student recognize it while the conversation is happening.
More awareness
Students start noticing personal details they used to ignore.
Better questions
They learn to respond with curiosity instead of immediately returning to the pitch.
Better habits
Call after call, they practice listening for the person—not just the sale.
Great salespeople hear things other people miss.
To most people, they're just details.
To a great salesperson, they're opportunities to understand someone better.