Rapport creates a climate of
trust and understanding
“I amonly through communication with the other.”
Karl JaspersI
f you do not believe in the importance of rapport, then
you may as well shut up shop now. Autocracies are dead.
Hierarchies are crumbling. The only place for command-
and-conquer management is in a museum. Relationships and
influence are the only way to build the networks you need to
succeed. And not only do you need rapport to build your
business, you need it to succeed in life.
Rapport is the ability to connect with others in a way that
creates a climate of trust and understanding. It is also the
ability to appreciate one another's point of view (not always to
agree with it), to be on the same wavelength, and to
understand and accept one another's feelings. Rapport is
essential for any form of communication to take place—unless,
of course, you don't want to make progress!
I guarantee that most of your customers choose you
because of the level of rapport you have with them. And more
significantly, the customers you keep when things go awry are
the ones with whom you have this kind of relationship. You are
more likely to buy from, agree with, support and stay with
someone to whom you feel connected than you are when this
isn’t the case.