Rapport is essential for any persuasion, successful sales presentation, or even a friendly conversation with somebody you’ve known for a long time.
Rapport is one of those things that we’ve heard about so often, that we assume we know all there is to know about the topic.
After all, the concept is pretty simple, right? You just kind of get on the same wavelength as somebody else, and you’re good to go, right?
Sometimes this is all you need. In fact, most of us who are naturals, at least in some respect, are naturally good at rapport.
After all, humans are “pack animals,” and we’re inclined to get into rapport with someone as a default position.
Unless something comes up.
The only thing that will “knock us out” of rapport is if we feel as though we’re being conned.
If you give off this vibe, no matter what you’re selling or trying to convince somebody to do, it’s over before you’ve started.
This is why understanding rapport is so crucial. Sure, it’s easy. Sure, it’s pretty natural.
But without it, you ain’t getting squat, so just to make sure, it’s a good idea to check to see if you have it.
Or even go a step further, make getting rapport, as natural as it is, the main objective of the first five or ten minutes of any conversation.
The easiest way to do that, is to simply allow yourself to become as curious as possible about how the other person sees things.
Not to persuade them to see things differently, or to persuade them that your way of seeing things is better.
Just relax your expectations, and allow yourself to be pulled into their world. Become curious what it would be like to be them, experience things how they experience them, and see the world through their eyes.
Even if you’re intending on persuading, or if you don’t have any concrete “intention” for the conversation, this can make for some much deeper and more meaningful conversations.