How do you attract more clients and provide them with the very best service?

Want to attract more clients? Want to provide your clients with the very best service? Then start being judgmental.

You might be thinking about that person you know who judges everyone and everything. “So-and-so is such a loud talker.” “So-and-so doesn’t have any sense of fashion.” This type of friend I like to call, “Judgy Judy.” And Judgy Judy is definitely a Debbie Downer to be around, am I right? Judgy Judy is making the wrong kind of judgments. So how can you build rapport by being judgmental?

Let’s set the scene. It’s lunchtime and you’re thinking about stepping outside for a quick bite to eat. Unfortunately, the weather isn’t looking so great. It’s going to start raining cats and dogs any second. Thank goodness you brought an umbrella, but hopefully you don’t step in any puddles. Exiting the building, you spot a person wearing rain boots, a raincoat, and carrying an impressive umbrella. You start the conversation by saying, “Wow! You look like a person who is definitely prepared for anything.”

In the above scenario, a judgment was made, but it was a positive one. This is called the “Confirming Understanding” strategy. The approach is pretty simple to implement and works because it makes the person you’re talking to feel significant, which can be incredibly effective in both a sales situation – and in everyday life.

Walt Whitman once said, “Be curious, not judgmental.” The “Confirming Understanding” approach allows you to be both as long as you’re not negative judgments. Be curious about the other person and confirm your observations to them. By doing so, you will be on your way to building the type of rapport that will make you irresistible.