Do you have time for small talk

A lot of reps I work with spend a great deal of time chatting up customers with small talk.
They talk about the weather and sports etc. This is intended to build rapport but I see it as a waste of valuable time. Customer's are busy and you never know when you'll be interrupted. You want to use every minute to advance toward a sale. It is important to build rapport but a more efficient way to do this is to talk about the customer's business. This is usually their favorite subject and you can learn something that will help you build a recommendation and close a sale. This also positions you as a professional.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch