{"id":6089,"date":"2018-10-15T14:03:39","date_gmt":"2018-10-15T21:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/?p=6089"},"modified":"2024-09-17T08:26:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T15:26:44","slug":"building-business-rapport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/building-business-rapport\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Steps to Building Rapport"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remember when you met your best friend? You may have felt like the two of you quickly hit things off. What you were experiencing was rapport, a French word that means \u201cto carry.\u201d In essence, you carry your relationship forward when you establish rapport with another person. Rapport is a close or positive relationship<\/a> between two or more people where there’s generally mutual trust, understanding, and agreement. Those who develop these relationships usually have similar interests, values, and behaviors.<\/p>\n

In business, rapport is used most often in sales, where you build relationships with your customers. But rapport isn’t limited to customer or client relationships. Building these relationships among co-workers and teams is a critical component of achieving success in reaching objectives. Employees who have comfortable relationships<\/a> with their managers and their co-workers are happier and have higher levels of productivity. Customers relate better with positive employees and are more satisfied with their dealings with a company.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

How can you build these relationships with your employees and your customers? Remember, rapport is a two-way street. You can’t build it alone.<\/p>\n

6 Factors<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Here are six factors<\/a> to keep in mind when building rapport:<\/p>\n

Appearance counts \u2013 You only have a few seconds to make a good impression. Make sure you’re neat, clean, and dressed appropriately. Maybe even a little better than the people you’re meeting.<\/p>\n

Communication<\/a> basics \u2013<\/strong> Most people respond positively to a smile and their own name, so relax, listen and act appropriately.<\/p>\n

Common ground \u2013 <\/strong>Get people to talk about themselves by using open-ended questions or making small talk. Always be genuine and sincere and don\u2019t try too hard to create instant rapport. Use humor, but keep it light and neutral.<\/p>\n

Create shared experiences \u2013 <\/strong>Whether working on a team project or attending a company event, shared experiences can cement your relationship.<\/p>\n

Employ empathy \u2013 <\/strong>Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another person\u2019s shoes by recognizing emotions and seeing things from another\u2019s perspective. Practice active listening<\/a> techniques and keep the conversation balanced.<\/p>\n

Body language \u2013 <\/strong>We generally relate to people like ourselves. You can use mirroring and matching to create a bond. If a person is subdued, don\u2019t overwhelm that person if you are extroverted. Mirror actions subtly and use similar language styles.<\/p>\n

Nonverbal communication is critical to the process. Psychologist Albert Mehrabian found:<\/p>\n