How to connect with others quickly?

Rapport is a close and harmonious relationship in which the people concerned understand each other's ideas or feelings and communicate well.

Have you come across people who become friends with strangers quickly or people who have strong personal and professional relationships?

Let me tell you how they do it. They are naturally good or have learnt to build rapport with others. And that's what we are going to do right now.

There are many ways to build rapport with others. I have listed the most effective ones below.

Pay attention and listen.

When you talk with others, pay complete attention to them and listen carefully. It shows that you value their thoughts and it engages them more in the conversation. When they share more and talk more they will feel understood and connected. So, avoid distractions and multitasking when you talk with others.

Use mirroring.

Mirroring is subtly copying someone's body language, speech patterns and words. Research suggests that when two people are connected, they copy each other's body language, speech patterns and words. Moreover, if you subtly copy someone's body language, speech patterns and words, you two will feel connected.

If they lean in while talking to you, you can also lean in and vice versa. If they have an open body language, mirror it and adopt an open body language.

Let's say the person uses certain phrases repeatedly when they are amazed or excited. Use the same to express your amazement and excitement.

If your interlocutor is speaking at a slow pace, match their pace of speaking.

But, mirroring should be done with subtlety. If you overdo it, you will annoy the person and I don't want you to end up there. So, don't mirror as soon as you observe a pattern. Wait for some time and then mirror it.

Encourage them to open up.

When you encourage people to open up, they will know that you care for them and listen to them. They will trust you more and feel a connection. Ask them open-ended questions to encourage them to speak more. Ask them follow-up questions and dig deeper into what they say.

Seek help.

When you seek help from others, you give them a chance to provide value and show that they care. It makes them more invested in the relationship. But make sure to maintain reciprocity and also help them. Don't make them feel 'taken advantage of' while using this.

Care actively.

Genuinely care about the other person. Let me give you an example. If they told you about something in the current meeting, ask them about it when you meet next time. It motivates the other person to share more with you and feel connected. Believe me, in today's time, most people just care about themselves and expect others to love and befriend them. Don't be like them.

Be vulnerable and honest

Share your true feelings, experiences, mistakes and imperfections with others. When you express yourself authentically, you become relatable and easy to connect with. Relatability is the reason why Batman is more famous than Superman. So, be yourself and don't try to be perfect.

Maintain eye contact.

Would you be interested in talking to a person who doesn't even look towards you? You wouldn't because you would feel the other person is not even paying attention to you. That's what happens when you talk with others without holding the gaze. Of course, I don't want you to intimidate the other person. But, you should maintain eye contact 50% of the time when speaking and 70% of the time when listening.

Use their name.

Dale Carnegie said, “Remember that a person's name is to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

When you use the name of a person while talking to them, you give a personal touch to the conversation. It signals interest and shows that you are not merely a ruthless networker who recites the same script as all the people.

Be reliable.

As we discussed above, you can only connect with someone if they open up to you. But, there is a prerequisite for it. You should be trustworthy if you want others to express themselves freely.

Build trust by showing consistency in your words and actions. Always keep your word and promises. People will sense that you are dependable and won't hesitate to come close to you.

I want you to use this information and build stronger personal and professional relationships and win in life. That's it for this article. Keep winning.

The Social Code