Rapport means being in sync with the person one is having a conversation with. Rapport is key to building good relationships.
1. Active Listening
Listening, as obvious as it might sound, is a key skill for building rapport and making people like you.
Average humans will only remember 50% of what is said for a short time and then forget almost all of it. This is because humans are poor at listening, especially when the topic talked about does not interest them.
Some tips that will help you become a great listener are:
- All your focus is purposefully diverted to the speaker. It’s important not to be distracted by phones, background noises, how they look, etc.
- Giving Feedback: Use nods and facial expressions to show you are flowing with the speaker.
- Don’t interrupt their flow of thoughts. Interruptions should be used only when it is necessary.
2. Be genuine about knowing people
When you genuinely like people, you will make them feel important.
Even if you just met that person, force yourself to feel enthusiastic about the conversation. Force a genuine interest in other people. Eventually, you will become natural at this.
3. Leave a good impression
It takes only three seconds for people to decide whether they like you. Appearance is very important and you should make sure you are well-groomed. Besides, for many people, when they look good, they feel good.
Another good tip for leaving a good impression is to be slightly different – vary your speed of talking; wear an unusual watch or ring; and use different ways to persuade…
If you have to explain your job to someone outside your field, use an analogy – it’s one of the best ways to explain anything.
If you want to engage people, you can ask smart questions. Whenever you ask a question; others assess you by your questions.
Another way to stand out is by telling a compelling story. But it needs to deliver a relevant point.
4. Realize how you affect people
You need to be aware and control how you affect others. Even during the interaction, there are things you can avoid saying or doing that can negatively affect your rapport with that person.
5. Keep the conversation off yourself
The selfishness in humans makes them feel the need to talk about themselves when with other people. You need to avoid this because it is a rapport killer. Encourage them to talk about themselves, their experiences, and their achievements.
6. Use empathy
When you really listen, you can understand their underlying problem and you can respond in a way that you are in tune with everything going on.
7. Learn
It is amazing how just an idea on certain topics can help a lot in building rapport. But when you have knowledge of diverse things is even better because you present yourself as an interesting person.
Learn about their profession or hobbies so you have general knowledge you can use during interactions.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
It was developed to describe the needs that motivate us throughout our lives. The five stages of needs that describe human behavior must be met from lowest to highest.
The first two stages are basic needs, which are based on the need for survival and safety.
Then comes what’s known as the love and belonging stage, which includes interpersonal relationships. It includes the need for emotional connections such as friendships, family, organizations, and romantic attachments…
By applying the techniques you learned above; you meet people’s social needs and are able (hopefully) to build a good relationship with them.
