Ten tips and tricks to help you connect

Connecting with your client or prospect is an essential step before making a sale. Check out these tips and tricks from marketing pro Maribeth Kuzmeski.

1. Seek out a common interest. People want others to be like them. Establishing that you and a client root for the same baseball team or volunteer at the same charity will go a long way in making you relevant in his eyes!

2. Don’t work from a script. Try to scrap the memorized pitch in favor of a more natural conversation. You’ll seem more at ease and authentic–and your prospect will be less tempted to think that you’re fluffing up the facts.

3. Remember the life philosophy of Mary Kay Ash, the cosmetics mogul. Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that reads, “Make me feel important.” Her genuine concern for others catapulted her out of poverty and was the secret to her success.

4. Remember the remarkable. Entrepreneur Susan Bates makes a point to identify and write down the things that stand out to her in every conversation. She then references those statements in future interactions–and has been amazed by the reactions she’s gotten when others realize that she has paid attention to and valued what they’ve said!

5. Cultivate curiosity. According to Lee Iacocca, former Chrysler CEO, “A leader has to show curiosity. He has to listen to people outside of the ‘Yes, sir’ crowd in his inner circle. Businesspeople need to listen at least as much as they need to talk. Too many people fail to realize that real communication goes in both directions.”

6. Act like a good listener. (Don’t let your body image betray you!) We’re constantly bombarded with information, so it’s almost instinctive to tune it out. When you’re interacting with someone, you need to consciously change your body language to reflect that you want to receive information; otherwise, it may appear that you’re trying to get away from it. Remember, your face says it all.