Connection is one of the most important ways to reach your customer. It creates comfort and ultimately trust. I’ve observed that there are generally three types of people who connect well: the Talker, the Asker, and the Engager. These are people who can easily keep the conversation going; with these people there are rarely moments of awkward silence. They are great at creating a connection, and thus serving customers.

The Talker

The Talker is the person that gets into a situation and is able to talk about themselves. They are open with their experiences and share the things they’ve learned and accomplished. Anyone they talk to can often find a connection with something they also have experienced in their life. The Talker pushes information, and opens up new connections through being forthright.

The Asker

The Asker is almost the opposite of the Talker. The Asker will meet with someone and begin asking questions. It often starts with a simple “What do you like to do?” and as the person answers, the Asker is able to form new, in-depth questions that help them begin to open up. In general, people are comfortable talking about themselves; these questions slowly help the person become more vulnerable and with greater vulnerability comes greater trust. The Asker pulls information and forms connections simply by being interested in other people.

The Engager

The Engager is the least common of these three types. Whereas communicating with the Talker doesn’t necessarily foster a high level of trust, and communicating with the Asker doesn’t create a high level of empathy, the Engager is able to do both. The Engager begins with questions to pull information out of a person, but they’re not doing it just to keep a conversation going. They will ask questions and move from different topics until the moment of empathy happens. At the moment of empathy, they have found a point of connection and they will begin sharing about a similar experience they’ve had that demonstrates they understand the other person. At this moment of empathy, the Engager makes a connection that develops vulnerability, trust and rapport. Through making genuine connection, the Engager is much more successful in selling something whether it be a product, an idea or a way of acting.

Think about your current presence, your website or policies on customer interaction. Are you engaging your customers today? The price of true engagement is vulnerability. We can't simply push or pull information anymore. Whether a Fortune 500 or a small startup, success lies in conversation. Once the conversation starts, progress can truly begin..