Phase 1: Connection and Rapport

Objective:

By the end of this lesson, you will understand the importance of establishing a positive connection and building rapport with prospects during the initial phase of a discovery call. We’ll discuss strategies such as active listening, empathy, and finding common ground, and gain knowledge of best practices to effectively engage in greetings and introductions.

Introduction:

Whether you are making an outbound discovery call or have a confirmed appointment and this is an inbound discovery call the way you kick off the conversation is critical is setting the agenda and tone of the call to come. It makes no difference if this is a phone call, face to face or a video meeting as to the importance of gaining an initial connection and establishing rapport can not be under estimated.

Purpose and Importance:

The purpose of this is to create a comfortable and engaging environment that allows for a successful client conversation. By establishing a positive connection and building rapport, we create a foundation of trust and credibility, which enhances the overall effectiveness of the discovery call.

Strategies for Connection and Rapport:

To establish a strong connection and rapport with the prospect, we will employ several strategies.

First, You need to take control of the conversation by asking good questions and actively listening to their answers

Next, don’t wait until you feel comfortable and believe there is good rapport. Start the call off expecting the connection, assuming there already is trust in place and rapport, even if you’ve never spoken to them previously

Additionally, finding common ground allows you to establish a shared understanding and create a connection based on mutual interests or experiences.

When it comes to greetings, introductions, and engaging in small talk, there are a few best practices to keep in mind. In an outbound discovery call, it’s important to have a specific introduction that clearly states who we are and why we’re calling. This helps establish our credibility and shows respect for the client’s time.

On the other hand, inbound discovery calls or sales calls can adopt a more conversational approach, focusing on building a connection through open and friendly dialogue. Regardless of the type of call, it’s crucial to assume trust and credibility from the beginning, which sets a positive tone for the conversation. Lastly, managing our energy is critical. Creating a pre-call ritual that eliminates distractions, builds confidence, and allows us to focus before the call starts helps ensure we bring our best self to the conversation.

There are three key objectives you need to meet during Phase 1 of the Discovery Call. They are…

1. Establish Control Of The Conversation – You are the expert in this situation and your prospect is looking for or needing your help, therefore you must be the person driving this conversation as you are in the best position to do so.
2. Position Yourself In The Authoritative Position – Without coming across as arrogant or self centred you need your prospect to understand from the way you conduct yourself that you are a professional, you are knowledgeable and you are caring. This automatically makes you more attractive and interesting
3. Set The Tone For How This Conversation Will Flow – By setting the tone for how this conversation will flow you are decreasing your prospects resistance and increasing their confidence

Time Allocation for Connection And Rapport:

This phase should only take 1-2 minutes maximum.

Homework Assignment:

For The Outbound Discovery Call Script: Create a strong introduction which introduces who you are, where your from and why you’re calling.

For example “Is this [Prospect Name]? [Prospect Name], it’s [You] calling from [Your Company], we connected via LinkedIn a few days ago and you mentioned you wanted some information about [how you solve their biggest problem]. The reason for the call today was to connect personally, see if I could get a little background into why {their biggest problem] is a challenge for you and set up a time where we could explore some possibilities of how we could potentially help. Is that ok?”

For The Outbound Discovery Call Script: Create a strong yet warm welcome script and list questions which allow you to gain control over the conversation and establish connection and rapport while positioning you in tan authoritative position