Building Rapport with Clients: Why It's Crucial to Business Success

Strong professional relationships are often one of the keys to success in business. This is true across many levels. Having a good working relationship with colleagues is obviously very important. Building a rapport with clients is just as vital as well. You don’t need to be in sales to get value out of building good relationships with clients or customers.

When you build a rapport with customers, you are making a strong connection and making them feel valued. This has a number of benefits, in both the short and long term. Here are some of the top reasons why building a rapport with clients is important in business.

Benefits of Building Rapport with Clients

Builds Trust and Respect

Perhaps the most obvious reason why building rapport helps is that it establishes a trusting relationship. If your client knows that they can trust and respect you, they are more likely to give you their business. Having a strong rapport can also speed up the process. Perhaps a client is shopping around for a new service provider in your industry. If they are indecisive or hesitant, building a rapport can help them make a favorable decision more quickly.

It is very practical to try to build a rapport with clients as often as you can in business. This is why strong interpersonal skills, like active listening and empathy, are often highly valued in all industries.

Facilitates Clear Communication Channels

When your clients know that they can trust you, it makes communication much smoother. If they need to request new services it will be much easier for them if they know they can talk to you. Both you and the client can trust each other and know what to expect from one another. 

Even if you can’t help them directly, your rapport gives clients an easy first contact within your company’s structure. You can direct the client where they need to go to resolve their issue. For most clients, having an accessible and familiar contact within a company is very important.

Networking

Building a rapport with customers can stick with you long after you (or they) have moved on. If you establish a strong relationship with a client, they are more likely to remember you in the future. Even if one of you moves onto a new position, they might remember your name and face. This is highly beneficial for future services or opportunities. Building strong relationships with anyone in business, colleagues and clients alike, is great for passive networking.

Better Work Environment

Lastly, building a rapport with clients is simply good for your work environment and productivity. When clients know they can trust you, it’s easier for everybody to conduct business. There are no obstacles standing in the way of a productive client relationship, and it’s easier to add more business.

Strong work relationships in any capacity are also good for morale. Whether you have a strong rapport with clients or coworkers, strong relationships are good for everybody. Not only does this create a more trusting environment, but you’ll likely end up enjoying going to work more.

Learn How to Build Rapport and More

At ASAP, we are committed to the professional development of administrative professionals everywhere. That is why offer resources that can help individuals grow and succeed in any professional capacity. 

If you want to learn more about how to build rapport in the workplace, or any other professional development topic, follow our blog. Or read about our membership perks to discover other ways that ASAP can be of value to you.