The Power of Rapport
			Have you ever been in a public place when a total stranger decides to tell you more about their lives than you ever cared to know? Chances are, you've developed rapport with that person-probably by accident. In customer service and sales, it’s important to make the process of building rapport happen quickly and consciously. While we've all established rapport accidentally at one point or another, there are deliberate actions we can take to build rapport quickly. Consider the following: In order to build rapport, there is an element of trust involved. People will not work with someone until they are comfortable with them. How do we communicate trust to others? Words are the weakest form of communication, representing only 7% of the initial rapport building process. Tone and pace of voice make the words come alive. Tone and pace represents 38% of how we build rapport. Physiology represents 55% of how we build rapport. Our bodies communicate more than our words. Why do we feel uncomfortable when someone stands while we are sitting? Physiology is the interaction between bodies.		Practice these steps to build instant rapport Eye Contact-Look your customer in the eyes, but don't stare. Break eye contact when the customer does. Unique greeting. If it's 100 degrees outside, don't talk about the weather. Chances are, they've heard the same thing from very other person they've talked to that day. Think of something unique and interesting. Shake Hands-Only when offered. Research shows that 60% of all people do not like to be touched by strangers. That includes a handshake. Extend your hand when the customer does it first. Mirror and Matching-This is the process of becoming like someone. Sit or stand like your customer. This builds trust and comfort. Match their tone and pace of voice and other key words that your customer uses. (Be careful not to mimic) Leading and pacing — It's important that a customer is comfortable with you. However, it is essential for a customer to be confident in order to make a buying decision. By moving a customer from comfortable to confident, it will be easy for the customer to make a decision. If you are sitting comfortably and are matching your customer, lean forward slightly. This will encourage your customer to lean forward and will take them from comfortable to confident.

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