Rapport Gets You a Meeting. Influence Gets You the Deal.

Every salesperson is taught the same first lesson: build rapport. Find common ground, share a laugh, be likeable. And it’s good advice. Rapport is the social lubricant that gets a conversation started. It’s the reason a prospect takes your call and listens to what you have to say.

Rapport Gets You a Meeting. Influence Gets You the Deal.

But it is not enough.

Rapport gets you in the door, but it doesn’t get you the signature on the contract. You can be the most well-liked salesperson a client has ever met and still lose the deal. Why? Because comfort is not the same as conviction.

To move a client from a friendly chat to a firm decision, you need to go beyond rapport. You need influence. Influence isn't about being pushy; it's the skill of using language to build trust, shape perception, and guide a conversation to a logical conclusion. It requires specific communication frameworks. Here are five you can start using today.

1. The P-A-S Story Structure

The human brain is wired for stories. The Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS) framework is a simple way to structure your message as a compelling narrative where the client is the hero.

• Problem: Start by identifying a clear and specific problem your prospect is facing. This shows you understand their world. "Many marketing teams we speak to are struggling to prove the ROI of their campaigns."

  
  

• Agitate: Gently explore the consequences of this problem. What does it cost in time, money, or frustration? This creates urgency. "This means budgets get questioned, and it's difficult to make a case for the resources you need to grow."

  
  

• Solve: Present your solution as the clear, direct answer to the problem you’ve just outlined. "Our platform provides a single dashboard that ties every marketing activity directly to sales results, giving you the clear numbers you need."

  
  

This turns your solution from a "nice-to-have" feature list into an essential tool for their success.

2. The "Feel, Felt, Found" Bridge

When clients express fear, uncertainty, or doubt, arguing with them is a losing battle. This framework builds a bridge of empathy.

• Feel: Acknowledge and validate their feeling. "I understand how you feel about the potential disruption of switching systems."

  
  

• Felt: Normalise their concern by referencing others. "Many of our best clients felt the exact same way before they made the change."

  
  

• Found: Guide them to a new perspective with a positive outcome. "What they found was that our dedicated onboarding team handled the entire migration, and they were up and running in a single afternoon with zero downtime."

  
  

You haven't dismissed their fear; you've accepted it and shown them a safe path forward.

3. The "Yes, and..." Pivot

This is the ultimate tool for handling logical objections without creating conflict. It turns a potential argument into a collaborative discussion.

When a client says, "This is too expensive," the instinct is to say, "Yes, but it's worth it." This creates a debate. Instead, try "Yes, and...".

• Objection: "This looks more complicated than what we use now."

  
  

• Your Response: "Yes, it is a very capable system, and that’s why we should look at how it specifically simplifies the three most time-consuming tasks you mentioned earlier."

  
  

You agree with the observation ("it is a capable system") and use "and" to pivot the conversation toward the value that directly addresses their unspoken need for simplicity.

4. The Power of "Three"

The human mind finds it easy to remember things in threes. When you present your case, don't overwhelm them with a long list of benefits. Group your most important points into a simple, powerful trio. It makes your message clear, confident, and memorable.

"Our solution delivers three key outcomes for a business like yours: First, it will cut your team's administrative workload by half. Second, it will give you real-time data so you can make faster decisions. And third, it will provide a better, smoother experience for your customers."

5. The "Future Pacing" Picture

People don't buy products; they buy a better version of the future. Instead of describing what your product does, use language to paint a vivid picture of what your client's life will be like after their problem is solved.

• Instead of: "Our software has project management automation."

  
  

• Try: "Imagine six months from now, instead of spending your Mondays chasing status updates, you’re looking at a completed project dashboard, confident that everything is on track. That's the clarity this gives you."

  
  

This helps the client emotionally connect with the outcome, making the decision to buy feel less like a purchase and more like a step into a desirable future.

From Knowing to Doing

Knowing these frameworks is one thing. Using them naturally in a high-stakes conversation is another. This is where deliberate practice in a structured environment makes all the difference.

It’s the entire focus of the Sales Communication Mastery: Persuasion and Influence (SCMPI) course at ClickAcademy Asia. This intensive programme is designed to help experienced sales professionals move beyond theory and master the practical application of these influential techniques. You will learn to:

• Design a communication plan that strategically uses these frameworks.

  
  

• Master your delivery, from your vocal tone to your body language.

  
  

• Practise handling objections and difficult questions in real-time, recorded sessions.

Rapport might get you the meeting, but influence gets you the deal. It’s time to learn the language that builds it.

Rapport Gets You the Meeting. Influence Gets You the Deal.

📌 Ready to move beyond being liked—and start being listened to? Join ClickAcademy Asia’s Sales Communication Mastery: Persuasion and Influence (SCMPI) course and learn the exact language frameworks that build trust, shape perception, and guide clients toward confident decisions.

🔗 Sign up now and master the language of influence.https://www.clickacademyasia.com/course/sales-communication-mastery