The art of building rapport

Have you ever known someone who has a natural ability to connect with people? No matter who this person meets, he or she manages to create a sense of trust and understanding within a matter of minutes. This is what we refer to as building rapport, it is the act of creating an emotional connection by understanding another individual. Building rapport, paves the way to greater and easier communication.

It doesn't matter what industry you're in or what position you hold because knowing how to build rapport can bring you countless opportunities. In sales, it is an essential skill to become successful. Because, once you've established rapport with a person, he or she is far more likely to be open with you and share information, buy your product, recommend you to others, or support your ideas.  Rapport can be built and developed by finding common ground, developing a bond and being empathic. The good news is that you don’t need to be born with these skills, you can learn the skills needed to build rapport.

Let’s look at what can be done:

Find Common Interests

Sometimes it might be difficult to find something you have in common with your client, colleague, neighbour, etc. We suggest to use open-ended questions to discover some personal information about the person. Perhaps you attended the same school, have the same taste in restaurants, know the same people, have an interest in the same hobbies or practice the same sports.

For example, when coaching hotel sales representatives on building rapport we tell them to find a topic that Interests their clients, other than business, and to have a conversation about it. By demonstrating interest and learning something specific about the client it shows that you are not only interested in his business. If you find a subject that both of you are passionate about, it’s even better to create rapport!

Be Empathetic

Empathy is about understanding other people by seeing things from their perspective, and recognizing their emotions. To be more empathic, one can start by developing his or her emotional intelligence to eventually understand others better. Daniel Goleman, an internationally known psychologist, has written books and given many conferences. Visit  http://www.danielgoleman.info/developing-emotional-intelligence for more information.

Reflex the other person’s body and spoken language

Wisely watch the person's body language, including gestures and posture. If the person is standing up with both hands on his hips, then copy the person's posture. As the person grows more comfortable with you, he or she will relax and arms should loosen up.
In our trainings, we teach to also mirror the other person's language. If he or she uses simple, direct words or abbreviations, then you should use them too. If the person speaks fast and seems in a hurry, then match that style.

There are also some basic principles that help communicate and to develop rapport with others. Here is a list of the most important ones:

•    Looking people in the eye when talking to them;

•    Shaking hands firmly and with confidence;

•    Holding your head up and maintaining good posture;

•    Facing the other person instead of looking at your computer screen or mobile device;

•    Smiling (yes, even on the phone!);

•    Concentrating on your telephone conversation (stop doing what you were doing before answering);

•    Being sincere;

•    Wearing appropriate attire to make a good first impression.
Building rapport is as important for your career as for your personal life. It can help you create a multitude of opportunities and gives you a chance to meet some pretty awesome people along the way!


Julie Charbonneau
Business Development and Training Director
j.charbonneau@signaturecanada.ca
Phone: 438-870-3087
www.signaturecanada.ca