Use Rapport Skills To Win Better Deals
Rapport is the master skill of all communicators, and when you apply it to any type of negotiation the results can be magical.
I define rapport as the art of cooperative communication, the mutual feeling of trust, respect and comfort that underpins all successful negotiations.
As an NLP practitioner and experienced negotiator, I know first hand how powerful some simple rapport building techniques can be so here are my top three tips for creating rapport fast!
- Mirror/match a few non-verbal characteristics of the other person such as sitting or standing posture, head tilt, facial expression or hand gestures. This will do two things – firstly it will put them at their ease without them knowing why.
– secondly it will allow you to have better empathy and so a deeper understanding of
their position. - Match their vocal delivery, particulalry their speed of delivery, volume and vocal energy levels.
- Listen to their choice of words and reflect back the key phrases using their workds rather than your own.
These simple techniques can be easily learned and will accelerate the development of rapport dramatically. Once you have the rapport you can then use it to lead the other person to the state you need them to be in to get the best deal. Have a go and see for yourself.
