Learning the secrets of building rapport from the field of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) can help you communicate more effectively with others

Improving your rapport building skills can help you:

- Make more sales.

- Get a better job.

- Win better deals in negotiations.

- Speak effectively and persuasively in public.

Rapport exists when two people feel comfortable with each other and there is a degree of trust and confidence.

Think about a time when you were in a conversation with someone and the two of you were naturally in sync.

You probably felt as though you were speaking with your thoughts as much as with your words.

You can easily choose to build that level of rapport with another person or a group of people.

Where there is strong rapport, people understand each other more easily and there is potential for effective communication.

You've already done this many times throughout your life but you may not have recognized what you were doing.

Six Ways to Build Rapport

We generally like people who are like ourselves in some way. The secret to building rapport is therefore to make the other person feel that you are like them.

The secret is to find something about them or their behavior that you can match. Here are six things you can match in another person to build rapport:

Words: You can build rapport by matching the way the other person talks. Take note of the words they use which indicate their sensory preferences (such as visual, auditory or kinesthetic) and use similar words and phrases in your own communication. You should also try to use any key words or phrases that they use a lot, such as "Alright", "Actually", "You know what I mean".

Physiology: Copying the posture, facial expressions, hand gestures or movements of someone you are talking to will cause their body to say unconsciously to their mind that this person is like me! You don't have to match them exactly - for example if they are tapping their fingers, you can move your feet with a similar rhythm.

Voice: If the person talks slowly and deliberately, for example, he will feel comfortable if you are the same way.

Breathing: If two people in conversation are breathing very differently, e.g. in depth or speed of breathing, both of them would feel uncomfortable. So you may need to match their rhythm of breathing.

How they deal with information: Some people are detail-oriented while others prefer their information brief. If you get this wrong, the detail-oriented person will be yearning for more facts or the big-picture person will soon be yawning!

Common experiences: If you travel somewhere and meet a stranger who turns out to be from your hometown, you will quickly have a lively conversation. It's rarely so clear-cut but the secret is to find some commonality. It's much easier to build rapport when people can find some shared interests and experiences or a common background.

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