There’s a behavioral phenomenon called “mirroring,” in which you subconsciously mimic your conversation partner’s body language, establishing rapport and making them feel more at ease.
He leans forward, you lean forward.
She steeples her fingers, you steeple your fingers.
Subconsciously, it connects the two of you, and makes you feel “in sync.”
That “in sync” feeling can lead to business relationships where you are a trusted resource, rather than an adversarial “salesperson.”
Today’s tip is the written version of mirroring.
Mirror Your Prospects’ Language to Improve Your Content Marketing
- Write down precisely what your new client tells you when you open the conversation with “tell me about your project and how I might help.” Let her talk until she’s done, and take note of the exact words she uses to describe herself and her pain points. Important—don’t paraphrase, just write down exactly what she said, in her own words.
- If you use a formalized support system or live chat, perform a monthly review to extract phrases that customers use to describe their problems, their situations, and themselves.
- Tap into the words and phrases your prospects and customers use whenever you’re writing web content, social updates, and email newsletters. Use that same language when you’re talking with potential clients face to face as well!
That’s it. Simple and effective.
Are you mirroring your customers?
Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee
Great advice, I would add empathizing with them too, which basically goes hand in hand with mirroring them. So, instead of engaging in any battle or trying to correct them, mirror and empathize. At some point, offer a solution, yes, but learn to cooperate and go with their flow. – Eric
Great point Eric. Empathy is an important aspect of “mirroring,” and extends the relationship as well!