Pro Exploit

Building rapport with someone you just met is important if you are intending to influence them later. Everyone is more likely to do things for people they consider friends. But how do you build rapport? Is it as simple as saying hello and sharing a conversation? Well, yes and no.

Some people are extremely friendly. They’re psychologically programmed to be very responsive to persuasion. To influence these people, not much more than a hello and friendly face is necessary. Many people however, are moderately to highly resistive to persuasion and apprehensive of meeting new people. With these people, you need to build rapport in order to influence them. One important thing to keep in mind is that you need to stay in control. If you let them control the conversation, you’ll be out of your element and not nearly as effective as you could otherwise be.

Everyone loves to talk about themselves. You’re going to want to ask questions about their life that aren’t too personal, give them the opportunity to brag a little but be careful how you phrase your question. For example, instead of saying “Where do you work?”, try saying “Tell me about your work.” Notice how the second statement is not a question. In this situation, you’ve maintained control by not asking a question. As long as you have a friendly tone of voice, saying “Tell me about your work” won’t be interpreted as a command but subconsciously they’ll begin building rapport with you. Stay friendly, confident and patient and you can make miracles happen.

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