Building Rapport With Clients

Ever noticed how saree shops don’t start with sarees? You walk in. The salesperson barely asks what you are looking for. Yet a chair appears out of nowhere…and before you even settle in, someone places a hot cup of tea in your hand. I used to think this was “good hospitality.” It’s actually brilliant business. Because the moment you sit down, sip tea, and relax… you stop being a hurried customer. You become a guest. And guests don’t browse. Guests stay, explore and trust - which is what the shopkeepers want. Hospitals call it “patient experience.” Startups call it “user onboarding.” Luxury brands call it “client delight.” But Indian saree shops figured this out decades ago. Lower resistance before selling. Let comfort do the conversion. It’s the same principle every business can use: Before asking for attention, create ease. Before asking for money, build comfort. Before selling, make people feel welcome. A cup of tea isn’t a beverage. It’s a strategy.

Most reps think they’re “doing outbound.” But their idea of a sequence is 6 emails, zero value, and a few sad bump messages. That’s not prospecting. That’s praying. Meanwhile, my clients are booking meetings with CROs at Fortune 500s — and here’s the sequence they use (10 touchpoints, built to convert): If your pipeline sucks, your sequence probably does too. Most reps don’t get ignored because they’re bad at writing emails. They get ignored because they rely on one channel. Because they give up after 2 touches. Because they confuse “checking in” with “creating urgency.” Here’s how high-performing reps actually break through: 1. The structure: 10 touchpoints across 20 days - 6 emails - 3 phone calls - 1 video on LinkedIn Every message with a purpose. Every channel working together. 2. The content: Stop bumping. Start teaching. Most sequences are noise. They repeat the same CTA (“just checking in!”), offer no insight, and get deleted by day 2. Instead, think in layers: Email 1 = POV tailored to the account Email 2 = Specific ways you help teams like theirs Email 3 = Case study or customer story Email 4 = ROI data, benchmarked Email 5 = Industry whitepaper or third-party research Email 6 = Product demo or experience preview Every email adds value. Even if they never reply, you become unignorable. 3. Phone still works. If you use it right. Don’t cold call. Warm call — immediately after the email drops. Reference your message. Be human. Don’t script. 4. Use LinkedIn like a human Day 1: Send a connection request (no note) Day 4: DM them after they connect Day 14: Drop a short video — selfie style, natural, no script This part matters most. Executives ignore cold emails but they watch DMs that feel real. 5. Automate the follow-up. Never the personalization. Yes, you can load this into Outreach or Salesloft. But if your content sucks, it doesn’t matter. Write once. Reuse the assets. Track opens. Follow up religiously. Be the rep who doesn’t disappear after 2 tries. I’ve helped reps use this exact sequence to book meetings with CROs at F500s. If you want coaching on how to build yours — the right structure, the right messaging, the right mindset — send me a DM. REMEMBER: Most reps fail not because they stop too late. But because they stop too soon. Build a real sequence. Say something worth hearing. And don’t quit at touch #3. This is the way. Be the 1%. Book the meeting.

The best negotiator I know is completely silent 70% of the time. Last year she closed $400M in deals saying almost nothing. In high-stakes negotiations, the person who truly understands human psychology wins. Not the loudest voice. Not the biggest title. The one who reads the room. FBI negotiator Chris Voss spent decades getting terrorists to release hostages. Now he teaches business leaders the same principles. And here's what surprised me most: These aren't secret tactics. They're learnable skills. Anyone can become a skilled negotiator. You just need to understand how humans actually make decisions. These 7 techniques are a great starting point. They've worked in life-or-death situations and multi-billion-dollar deals. 1. Strategic Silence teaches patience. Most of us rush to fill quiet moments. But silence creates space for better offers. Practice counting to 10 before responding. It feels eternal. It works. 2. "How" over "Why" shifts dynamics. One word change. Completely different conversation. Try it in your next meeting. Watch defensiveness disappear. 3. Addressing Fears builds trust fast. Name what they're worried about before they do. It shows you understand their position, not just your own. 4. Mirroring is almost unconscious. Repeat their words. They elaborate without realizing it. Simple technique. Profound results. 5. Getting to "No" seems counterintuitive. But "no" creates boundaries. Boundaries create honest dialogue. Real deals happen after "no," not before. 6. Confirming Concerns creates momentum. Summarize their position accurately. They feel heard. Feeling heard leads to flexibility. 7. Listing Objections removes their power. Say their doubts out loud first. They can't weaponize what you've already acknowledged. Every CEO needs this skill. Every leader benefits from understanding it. Every professional can learn it. The question isn't whether you need these skills. It's when you'll start developing them. P.S. Want a PDF of my Negotiation Skills Cheat Sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dDxE5v3B ♻️ Repost to help a leader in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more negotiation insights.

First impressions matter. Starting with your introduction. I’ve seen too many people wing their introductions. Big mistake. Top 1% communicators never underestimate first impressions. They know how to become instantly memorable. When I work with my CEO coaching clients, I ensure they stand out. You can steal my method: Record yourself introducing yourself in 30 seconds. Then ask: Would you be interested in meeting this person? Would you remember them a day later? If not: Rewrite. Rehearse. Refine. Use these 7 strategies to ace your next intro: 1 - The Networking Pitch - Daniel Priestley 🟢 Name Say it slowly. Own the moment. Smile. 🟢 Same Say what you do in familiar terms. 🟢 Fame Share a line of credibility. 🟢 Aim What are you focused on right now? 🟢 Game End with your bigger vision. 2 - Nail Your Non-Verbal → Real smile (no fake smiles) → Stand tall, shoulders back, face them directly → Avoid awkwardness: signal handshake, hug, or wave 3 - The 5-Second Intro Practice this all-purpose 3-step formula: Who you are → What you do → Who it helps 4 - Use Micro-Stories Instead of listing titles or credentials, embed a 1-sentence story: “I used to write speeches for government leaders. Now I coach founders on how to own the room.” 5 - Show Your Energy, Not Just Expertise Most introductions are soulless and bloodless. But energy is magnetic. 6 - Tailor Your Intro To The Room: 💼 Boardroom: Lead with credibility and clarity. 🎤 Stage: Start with a story or question. ☕ Networking: Keep it casual and curiosity-driven. 7 - Avoid These Mistakes 🚅 Saying your name too fast. 🥱 Being forgettable: “I’m in communications” 🪽 Winging it – first impressions matter! What do you pay attention to when you introduce yourself? - - - - ♻️ Repost to help others, too. And follow Oliver Aust for more on leadership communications. ♟️ Want to become a top 1% communicator? Reach out here: https://lnkd.in/dc-TBhZU

It takes 7 seconds to lose a client's trust. (Sometimes with words that seemed perfectly reasonable.) I've watched smart professionals lose deals they deserved to win. Strong relationships. Perfect fit solutions. Gone in seconds. Because here's what nobody tells you about client conversations: Your words can either open doors or close them. After training 50,000+ client-facing professionals… I've heard every phrase that makes clients pull back. The pushy questions. The tone-deaf assumptions. The pressure that breaks trust instantly. 10 phrases that push clients away: ❌ "Do you have a price range in mind?" ❌ "When can we close this deal?" ❌ "Let me tell you why we're the best." ❌ "Are you ready to buy today?" ❌ "Who else are you talking to?" ❌ "I just wanted to check in.” ❌ "You really need what we offer." ❌ "Let me know if you have any questions." ❌ "This is a limited-time offer." ❌ "Can you introduce me to your boss?" Each one risks sounding like: "I care more about my quota than your success." Now 10 that build partnerships instead: ✅ "What outcomes are most important to you?" ✅ "What would success look like for you?" ✅ "Would it help if I shared how we've helped others?" ✅ "What's your timeline for making progress?" ✅ "What's most important when choosing a partner?" ✅ "I had an idea about your goals. Want to hear it?" ✅ "What challenges are you facing that we might help with?" ✅ "Would it help if we scheduled time to dive deeper?" ✅ "What priorities are driving your timeline?" ✅ "Who else should be part of this conversation?" Notice the pattern? Every better phrase puts the client's agenda first. Not yours. Because when you stop selling and start solving, everything shifts. Clients lean in instead of pulling back. Conversations flow instead of stalling. Trust builds instead of breaking. You don't need a personality transplant. You don't need to become "salesy." You just need to change your questions. Because the truth is: Your next client conversation is either strengthening a partnership or weakening one. Your words decide which. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full cheat sheet? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf

I just deleted 147 cold emails without reading them. Here’s what they all got wrong: Every morning, my inbox looks the same. A flood of pitches from people trying to sell me something. Most days, I just mass delete them. But this morning, I decided to actually read through them first. Within 5 minutes, I spotted a pattern. Everyone was making the exact same mistake. They were all trying to close the deal. ALL IN THE FIRST MESSAGE 🥵 Let me show you what I mean (with two small examples): APPROACH A: "The Wall of Text" Send 100 cold emails with full pitch, calendar link, and case studies. • 3 people open • 0 responses • 0 intros This looks exactly like the 147 emails I just deleted "Hi [Name], I noticed your company is scaling fast! We help companies like yours optimize their marketing stack through our proprietary AI technology. Our clients see 300% ROI within 90 days. Here's my Calendly link to book a 15-min chat: [LINK]. Looking forward to connecting! Best, [Name]" BORING!!! APPROACH B: "Micro Conversations" Same 100 prospects, broken down into micro-convo's. Email 1: "Do you know [mutual connection]?" • Send 100 • ~40 open • ~20 respond Email 2: "They mentioned you're scaling your marketing team. I'd love to connect about [specific thing]." • Send to 20 who responded • ~15 continue engaging Email 3: "Would you mind if they made an intro?" • Ask 15 engaged prospects • ~10 intros Final score: • Approach A: No intros • Approach B: 10 intros How to Apply These Lessons (Tactical Summary): 1. Focus on Micro-Conversations: Break your cold outreach into smaller, manageable steps. Build rapport before making any asks. 2. Personalize Everything: Reference mutual connections, specific company milestones, or shared interests in every message. 3. Play the Long Game: Aim for replies in the first message.. not conversions. If you’ve been struggling with cold outreach, you might just need a new approach. Give this one a try and lmk how it goes.

I often hear sales reps say “I just don’t like following up because I don’t want to sound pushy.” 🙄 Working your pipeline isn’t “pushy.” It’s literally the job. 💪🏼 Following up is not annoying. Not following up is irresponsible. If you’re in sales and you’re scared to ping someone again, you’re not thinking about the customer, you’re thinking about yourself. Here’s how to fix that mindset: 1️⃣ Lead with empathy. This isn’t personal. They’re busy. You’re busy. You’re just two humans trying to get something done. 2️⃣ Ditch the weak opener. Never say “just following up.” Instead, try: 👉 “Wanted to close the loop on this while it’s still fresh.” 👉 “Had a quick thought after our last convo that might help.” 👉 “A few others in your space just made a move and it made me think of you.” 3️⃣ Bring value or don’t reach out. A fresh insight. A customer story. A relevant stat. A product update. Make it worth their time. Following up isn’t about pestering. It’s about helping people make a decision even if that decision is no. Let’s normalize working your deals like a pro. Not ghosting them like an amateur.

Is your marketing strategy truly client-focused? Building strong client relationships starts with putting their needs at the heart of your approach. Here’s how to craft a strategy that resonates: 1) Understand their needs Listen actively and uncover their challenges to provide real solutions. 2) Speak their language Use messaging that aligns with their tone, values, and industry. 3) Adapt as they grow Stay flexible and evolve with your clients’ changing needs. 4) Deliver tailored solutions Customization shows that you’re invested in their success. 5) Build trust through consistency Reliable communication and quality service foster long-term loyalty. Client-focused marketing isn’t just a strategy—it’s the foundation for sustainable growth. Ready to put your clients at the center of your marketing? Start implementing these steps today and watch your relationships flourish.

For decades, 'legal tech' meant one thing: building complex, expensive software to help big law firms bill more hours, more efficiently. The entire industry was built to serve the lawyer. That era is officially over. The real, multi-trillion dollar opportunity was never about making lawyers slightly more productive, it was about serving the millions of small businesses and individuals who couldn't afford them in the first place. A new wave of startup founders understands that the future isn't about selling software to law firms, but about delivering legal outcomes to everyone else. This shift is happening in real-time so when I met Andrew Guzman at OpenLaw, with a mission of making legal services accessible and on-demand, I was excited to get involved. Their momentum highlights a broader trend we're seeing. Devalued Currency: On-premise enterprise software sold in multi-year contracts to the top 200 law firms. New Currency: On-demand, transparently-priced legal services delivered through a marketplace that empowers both the client and the independent lawyer. Here’s how the next generation of legal tech founders are building: ✔️They Focus on the Client Experience, Not the Lawyer Workflow. The old guard built tools to optimize tasks within a law firm. The next gen are obsessed with the client's journey. They ask: "How can we get a small business a simple, fixed-fee contract review in 24 hours?" This client-centric obsession, rather than lawyer-centric optimization, is the single biggest mindset shift in the industry. ✔️ They Use AI for Access, Not Just Efficiency. First-gen legal tech used AI to help a $1k/hour lawyer find a document 10% faster. The new generation uses AI to automate routine tasks, enabling a marketplace of lawyers to offer services at a price point small businesses can actually afford. AI isn't a tool to enhance the old model, it's a weapon to unlock a completely new market. ✔️ They Sell Predictability First, Legal Services Second. The biggest barrier for a small business isn't a lack of legal documents, it's the paralyzing fear of surprise bills and hiring the wrong expert. Instead the new gen build products that offer fixed-fee packages, transparent reviews and clear project scopes, ensuring a customer knows the exact cost and deliverable upfront. They understand that what they’re really selling is predictability. The future of legal tech doesn't look like a piece of software. It looks like a simple, elegant experience that finally gives businesses and individuals the expert help they really need. A huge congrats to the OpenLaw team for closing $3.5M and leading the charge. Let's go! 🚀 🚀 🚀 The LegalTech Fund, Wisdom Ventures, Mindful Venture Capital, Flint Capital, Slauson & Co., Techstars, Everywhere Ventures

Prospects don't care about buzzwords. They just want their problems solved. A common problem I see is consultants trying to be too clever with their wording. I've been in business for 40 years. If their positioning is unclear to me, it might as well be in another language for a prospect. I always recommend reading "Why Business People Speak Like Idiots". Then, to go back and tighten up your messaging. In the meantime, here are a few phrases to avoid, and what to say instead: 1. When setting the agenda: Instead of: "Let's align on strategic priorities for this engagement." Say: "Let's start with what's most important to you right now." 2. When asking a prospect about their problems: Instead of: "Can you identify the key pain points impacting your current performance?" Ask: "What’s getting in the way of your business running the way you want it to?" 3. When talking about growth: Instead of: "Our objective is to design scalable systems that drive sustainable growth." Say: "Let’s build simple systems that help you grow without adding chaos." 4. When giving feedback: Instead of: "Your current strategy appears misaligned with established best practices." Say: "There’s an easier way to get the results you’re after." 5. When presenting results: Instead of: "We’ve observed measurable improvement across multiple key performance indicators." Say: "You’re up 18%. Here’s what’s working and where we can keep improving." 6. When facing resistance: Instead of: "While I understand your concerns, our methodology has consistently produced results across similar client engagements." Say: "I get it. Let’s look at how this would work in your situation?" 7. When selling the next step: Instead of: "We offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to optimize profitability and performance." Say: "I can help you find and fix the profit that’s already in your business." 8. When following up: Instead of: "I wanted to touch base to confirm receipt of the proposal and inquire about your decision timeline." Say: "Just checking in. Does this still feel like the right next move for you?" 9. When wrapping up a meeting: Instead of: "Let’s recap the key takeaways and confirm action items for next steps." Say: "Here’s what we agreed on and what happens next." Prospects just want things made easy. If your message feels like work, they’ll move on. Keep it simple. That’s what gets people on side. If you're trying to pinpoint how to grow your consulting business, I built a quiz that'll help. It gives you a personal report of your consultant archetype, biggest blind spot, and a roadmap of your next steps. You can take the quiz for free here: https://lnkd.in/gve8CjUu 📨 If you're ready to book a call send me a DM with the word "ready." ♻️ Repost this to help out your network. ➕ Follow Dale Gibbons to turn your genius into a 7-figure consulting business.