5 tips to break the ice with prospects

4.  Listen. If you want to generate rapport, be a great listener. A good set of questions, which invite the other person to share, is better than a statement. A good conversation involves give and take. But if you want to build rapport, leave others more room to talk than you might think necessary. And if they won't talk, try showing vulnerability and then being really, really quiet.

5.  Have a sense of humor. A sense of humor can really help create rapport. People want to be around others who make them laugh and feel good. And a sense of humor says that the task at hand can be fun—or at least pleasant. It can shrink a seemingly big issue to a more manageable size. Humor is a great way to break the ice and warm up a cold shoulder.

That new client or prospect may have his guard up, but there things you can do to break it down. Just remember: Rapport doesn't say "I like you" but "I am like you."

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• Intention versus impression
• The 'know, like and trust' factor
• Let's shake on it: Making a great first impression as an advisor

S. Anthony Iannarino is the managing director of B2B Sales Coach & Consultancy, a boutique sales coaching and consulting company, and an adjunct faculty member at Capital University's School of Management and Leadership. For more information, go http://thesalesblog.com/s-anthony-iannarino/