Rapport Building

Rapport is the ability to relate to others and be in harmony with them. It helps in establishing
trust and mutual acceptance. Rapport does not necessarily mean that you agree with others,
however there is a certain ease in communication even if disagreements are being discussed.
Rapport Building is an important part of connecting with and engaging the audience during a
presentation.
Some major aspects to keep in mind for building rapport are:

• Show Genuine interest in the other person/ audience

• Talk Less – Ask, Listen and Acknowledge more/ Agree where relevant
• Ask questions around areas of interest
• Use positive language / words
• Use matching Predicates/ Use a mix of all types of Predicates for a larger audience
• Match
o Breathing
o Speed of Speech
o Tonality of Speech
• Subtly mirror:
o Gestures
o Movements
o Sitting Style
o Posture

The key here is to observe and pick up information subtly without making it too obvious or
staring. Using one’s peripheral vision works well in this context.

NIFT Bangalore, General Elective, 22nd Jan 2019