From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rapport
Rapport
Rapport is a term used to describe, in common terms, the Tone and Tempo Mirroring - Matching the tone, tem-
relationship of two or more people who are in sync or on po, inflection, and volume of a person’s voice.
the same wavelength because they feel similar and/or re- Reciprocity
late well to each other.[1] Giving gifts or doing favors without asking for something
It stems from an old French verb rapporter which in return triggers feelings of obligation [5]
means literally to carry something back;[2][3] and in the Commonality
sense of how people relate to each other means that what Commonality is the technique of deliberately finding
one person sends out the other sends back, for example something in common with a person or a customer in or-
they may realise that they share similar values, beliefs, der to build a sense of camaraderie and trust. This is done
knowledge, or behaviors around sports or politics. through shared interests, dislikes, and situations. [6]
There are a number of techniques that are supposed
to be beneficial in building rapport such as: matching
your body language (i.e., posture, gesture, etc.); main-
See also
taining eye contact; and matching breathing rhythm. • Empathy
A classic if unusual example of rapport can be found • Mirroring in psychology
in the book Uncommon Therapy by Jay Haley, about the
psychotherapeutic intervention techniques of Milton
Erickson. Erickson developed the ability to enter the
References
world view of his patients and, from that vantage point [1] Stewart, Dorothy (1998). Gower handbook of
(having established rapport), he was able to make ex- management skills. Gower Publishing. p. 282.
tremely effective interventions (to help his patients ISBN 0566078899.
overcome life problems). [2] Manser, Martin; Turton, Nigel (1998). Advanced
Learners Dictionary. Wordsworth Editions. p. 574.
ISBN 1853267635.
Building rapport [3] "Rapport - Definition". Merriam Webster.
Building rapport is one of the most fundamental sales http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
techniques. In sales, rapport is used to build relationships rapport. Retrieved 22-Mar-2011.
with others quickly and to gain their trust and confi- [4] Graham, Colly. "Building Rapport".
dence. It is a very powerful tool that veteran salespeople http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3151/
naturally employ, which allows them to close more deals Building-Rapport--Customer-Relationships.html.
with less effort. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
[5] "The Law of Reciprocity". http://www.the-
Methods marketing-shop.com/law-of-reciprocity/.
Mirroring [6] DeGroot, Bob. "Establish trust and rapport".
Mirroring means getting into rhythm with the person on http://www.saleshelp.com/guestservices/
as many levels as possible.[4] destinations/newsletter/step7trustrapport.htm.
Emotional Mirroring - Empathizing with someone’s Retrieved 2010-09-22.
emotional state by being on ’their side’. You must apply
the skill of being a good listener in this situation so as you Further reading
can listen for key words and problems that arise when
• Chaper 8. Communicating to establish rapport -
speaking with the person. This is so you can talk about
Patient practitioner interaction. Carol M. Davis,
these issues and question them to better your under-
Helen L. Masin - ISBN 978-1556427206
standing of what they are saying and show your empathy
towards them (Arnold, E and Boggs, K. 2007).
Posture mirroring - Matching the tone of a person’s
body language not through direct imitation, as this can
appear as mockery, but through mirroring the general
message of their posture and energy.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rapport&oldid=462840954"
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rapport
Categories:
• Human communication
• Interpersonal relationships
• Unconscious
• Social psychology stubs
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