Browse 80 quotes about Build Rapport.
“Vulnerability is our relationship to our weaknesses, not our weaknesses themselves.
It's the feeling we have when confronted with our imperfections. The image of being vulnerable is that of taking off our armor, making ourselves available to be intimate, to be touchable. To own your vulnerabilities is a move of trust, a move of solidarity.”
Source: Say Yes: Discover the Surprising Life Beyond the Death of a Dream
“Earning Trust & Cooperation
The number one thing which stands between you and meeting a new person is tension. What is the number one thing which stands between a sales person and their prospect? You guessed it . . . tension. One of our first priorities as we initiate a first impression must be to focus on how to effectively minimize or eliminate tension.
Regardless of your relationship or venue, when tension is high, trust and cooperation are low. When tension is reduced, trust and cooperation increase. It is an inverse relationship. So, how can you move to reduce tension in your first impressions to increase trust and cooperation? Put yourself in their shoes and seek to relate to them with an equal footing on a level playing field. Demonstrate how you can bring value to their lives.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“As soon as someone believes you cannot be trusted, you are stopped dead in your tracks. Whether this perceived loss of trustworthiness is true or false, the perception alone can be damaging.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“I’ve Got to Trust You to Like You
People want to do business with people whom they like and trust. If anything in a business presentation raises concerns or doubt about your trustworthiness, everything shuts down. And then there's little hope of moving forward in a positive way—you’re done.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“What are those behaviors that make us take pause to think twice about a person’s trustworthiness? Guarded body language, lack of eye contact, nervous fidgeting, interrupting, speaking ill of others, lying, arrogance, and gossip to name a few.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Rapport allows you to create a friendly compatibility and easy companionship which feels comfortable and enjoyable.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“When a leader nurtures an environment of trust, respect, and honesty—business soars, creativity and problem-solving are inspired, and collaboration enables people get more done in less time.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Strengthen your first impressions by making the intentional effort to first earn people’s trust, and rapport will naturally follow.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Can I Trust You?
Years ago, I heard Lou Holtz speak at a national conference. His rock-solid reputation preceded him—he is the only coach in the history of college football to take six different football teams to a bowl game. He is not only well-respected for his ability to elevate football programs, but to elevate individuals as well.
During his humorous and entertaining keynote, he taught a few small lessons which carried big meanings. He shared that every person you meet is privately asking themselves three questions:
1. Do you care about me?
2. Do I like you?
3. Can I trust you?
When you make an authentic, sincere, and dignified effort to create a positive first impression, you increase your chances of receiving a "Yes!" to those questions. Unfortunately, if someone you meet answers "No!" you’ve got an uphill battle to earn their business or develop a friendship.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“When trust is broken, foundational cracks occur which weaken the entire relationship. As with concrete, no amount of filling and patching you apply with the hope of fortifying the fracture will ever repair the weakness caused by the rift.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Sometimes we break people's trust accidentally. An infraction such as not returning a phone call, missing a deadline, being late for an appointment, divulging a confidence, or speaking out of turn can damage our perceived character and reputation.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Take steps to be humble, sincere, and authentic, and apologize if necessary. If a relationship is valuable to you, it is worth your concern and effort to make it right.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Going with Your Gut
Your natural instincts are a great barometer for a person’s trustworthiness. Listen to your gut when something feels amiss. When your natural “Spidey-Sense” kicks in, it may alerting you to red flags you would not see on the surface otherwise.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“People consider trust differently. Some approach a new relationship with a degree of skepticism and want the other person to earn their trust before it is freely given. Their reluctance is often influenced by a previous experience when they were hurt, betrayed, or let down by others.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“I, however, typically trust people until they prove me wrong. As an energy-sensitive person with a highly intuitive nature, I pick up on clues as to whom I can trust or should be wary of. I will take my chances and continue living with my heart wide-open. Having faith in humanity and expecting the best from others improves my happiness and well-being.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Trust and rapport are listed in that order because without first building trust, healthy rapport is not possible.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“As you rock rapport, you will open doors, earn loyalty, establish long-term relationships, and promote mutually respectful interaction. How can you break the ice and move toward creating a positive connection?”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“11 Tips for Building Rapport
1. Adapt to the other person’s energy level.
2. Assume rapport.
3. Be open and friendly.
4. Exude warmth and approachability.
5. Find common ground or mutual agreement.
6. Keep your commitments and always follow through.
7. Make eye contact.
8. Soften your voice, your smile, and your eye contact to convey openness and interest.
9. Match and mirror a person’s gestures and body language.
10. Pay attention.
11. Validate the other person by asking questions and showing sincere interest in their answers.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“The bottom line is that, as human beings, we all crave belonging and connection. This only happens when trust is established and continuously cultivated.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“For leaders, trust can make all the difference in the viability of their teams. When there is mistrust or low connectivity, teams can falter and fight—making productivity and profitability suffer.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Top sales professionals will confirm that nurturing their “sphere of influence” is essential to their success. When trust and rapport are well cultivated, it can yield tremendous bottom-line results.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Trust and rapport are the connective tissue for gaining and maintaining healthy relationships. They provide people with the comfort and reassurance that they are doing business with an organization who cares.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Animation. Enthusiasm. Sincerity. Excitement. Acceptance. Have I just described your family dog? You’re happy to see him because he is so happy to see you. It is no wonder dogs are called “Man’s Best Friend” with attributes like that. Their natural propensity for joy makes them among the most personable and friendly creatures on the planet. Human beings could learn a thing or two from their eager and earnest approach to life.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“People who exude these qualities are treasures indeed—not only to the friends they make and strangers they meet, but to the companies who employ them.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“These special people are genuinely warm, sincerely kind, and put people at ease with their inviting nature and light-hearted conversation. They are easy to talk to, easy to like, and bring a positive vibe to even the most stressful situations.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Wise leaders know that being personable ad friendly is the highly-prized personality for employees who are meeting, greeting, and engaging on the front lines with customers. They are the real ambassadors of good will who make positive first impressions for the organization. Their affinity for being personable and friendly can boost the attractor factor for winning business, loyalty, and rave reviews.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“The South is known for its "Southern Hospitality," and I feel fortunate to have grown up in such a friendly and caring culture. Our remarkable mother has always exemplified these qualities and has been a consistent role model for making other people feel valued and important.
She will approach new people in most any situation to gift them with a smile and a moment of her time. Regardless of their role, position, or stature, she confidently engages others with animation, enthusiasm, and interest. Her gentility makes people feel emotionally safe and cared for. This degree of friendliness melts resistance, lowers barriers, and opens hearts by valuing humanity. Almost always, her personal connections develop with feelings of mutual respect, appreciation, and friendship.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“When we trust someone or something, we place our faith and confidence in their word, reliability, and deeds. Without trust and rapport, a relationship can be cut short before it ever gets started.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“For as Molly looked at him, she felt an immediate … she didn’t know what. Despite her love of the language arts, she also possessed an analytic mind, and that mind straightaway tried to seek out the why. And it couldn’t unearth the reason apart from his smile. Or, rather, how he smiled at her—warm and full-armed, like the embrace from a long-absent friend, without the slightest trace of fakeness or concealed motive. His was the most open face she’d ever seen in her life. Concomitant with these sensations, all delivered within a split second, was a thought, seemingly originating not in her mind but from the center of her torso and radiating out to the ends of each nerve, inexplicable in its suddenness and surety. A thought that children and very young people might have, but never middle-aged adults, especially one with a divorce behind her and the conviction that she already knew the world and what it was able to offer. But there it was, undeniably, the thought: I’m on a great adventure.”
Source: The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen
“People love to be happy, enjoy a hearty laugh, and simply have fun. When you’re happy, everything feels right in the world and life is good. Knowing that this is a universal yearning, what can you do to feed the need and bring out the best in others?”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Having a sense of humor can be one of your greatest assets and equip you with an undeniable "attractor factor." The benefits extend far past a quick wit and spontaneous laughter. It can help you lower stress levels in yourself and others, diffuse difficult situations, interact more easily, and provide health benefits for improved well-being.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Humor lightens our spirits, comforts us through the challenge, brings people together, and helps us to remember the positive sides of life. When your presence and personality bring this welcomed delight and joy to others, you are a pleasure to know and you leave them wanting more.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“When I was a young and aspiring speaker, I sought mentorship from a man who had been a Dale Carnegie trainer for decades. Eagerly wanting to know how to improve my stage presence and build my career, I contacted Dr. Joe Carnley in Destin, Florida and invited him out to lunch.
After we placed our order at the Harbor Docks Restaurant, he dove right in and gave me some of the best advice of my life. He said, “Susan, you have to make them laugh! When they leave your presentations, you want them to feel better and leave happier than when they came in. Help them enjoy your time together.”
He continued to describe the magical power that humor has over the human spirit. When we craft humor into our speeches, we can take our audiences on a journey they will never forget.
Immediately after our delightful lunch ended, I drove straight to a Books-a-Million store and headed for the humor section. Since I was not a particularly funny person, I needed all the help I could get. For over an hour I stood there reading titles, flipping through funny books, and enjoying outrageous belly laughs, giggles, and snorts. People were staring, and probably thinking, “I want what she is having!”
The humor section was one of the smallest in the entire bookstore, but it may well have been the most important. When I turned around, I noticed the opposite aisle was the “Self-Improvement” section. It ran half the length of the store and displayed hundreds of books. At that cathartic moment, I had a huge "Ah-Ha" moment.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“If people would read more of these humor books, they wouldn’t need all those self-improvement books!”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Follow your heart, but take your brain with you!" After buying an armload of funny books filled with clean jokes, one-liners, and speech openers, I discovered how truly "spot-on" Joe had been. Inserting humorous zingers throughout my programs has worked like a charm and improved my presentation skills.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Life wasn’t meant to be so serious. Enjoy life, be fun, spend time with people who make you happy, widen that smile, and laugh out loud. Learn to laugh at yourself.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Expand Your Repertoire . . .
Professional humorists and comedians, like Jeanie Robertson, maintain joke files filled with assorted topics, anecdotes, and titles. When something outrageously funny happens, she makes a note of it, puts it away, and saves it for the day she can integrate it into her hilarious presentations.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Find Your Funny Bone . . .
Life provides plenty of material for things for you to laugh at. Seek irony, coincidence, and the abundance of simple humor in life’s little absurdities.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Watch, Listen, & Learn . . .
Broaden your sense of humor by watching funny movies and shows, reading funny books, visiting live comedy shows, or enjoying YouTube clips.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Clown Around . . .
Nancy Weil of The Laugh Academy gives people she meets red clown noses and shows them how to use them. Promoting laughter as a cure for stress and negativity, she makes a positive and memorable impact and gives others permission to play.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“How's your humor? What can you do to have more humorous lines to use in the right place at the right time? I highly recommend it! Laughter is the best medicine indeed. Not only will you enjoy the experience yourself, but the people around you will enjoy the entertainment.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“So, what if you are not naturally funny? Don’t get discouraged. Do your research, gather ideas, and find your fun. Seek ways to laugh. Not only will doing this provide you with new material for making a great first impression, but laughter will bring you personal delight and satisfaction. Putting a smile on someone’s face is one of the best gifts you can deliver.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“When Humor Falls Flat
“Humor is not a "one-size fits all" guarantee. What is hilarious to one person may be offensive to another. By being emotionally intelligent and self-aware, you can discern how, when, why, or where to be funny . . . or not. You might be walking on thin ice and risk making a damaging first impression if you use humor that is:
• At the expense of others.
• Thoughtless sarcasm.
• Belittling or condescending.
• Hitting below the belt.
• Creepy or profane.
• Raunchy humor with sexual innuendo.
• Politically incorrect.
• Mean-spirited.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Know your audience! With the high level of cultural sensitivity these days, it is often better to err on the side of caution. If you don’t want your humor to come back and bite you, don’t hurt one person to entertain another. We can have humor without making fun of other people.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“I have noticed generational humor exists as well. Since our frames of reference and cultural influences vary, there is a lot of room for misinterpretation and the potential to not "get it.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Don’t try to make a joke just to make a joke. Sometimes, as human beings, we so want to fit in and connect that we try TOO hard to be something we are not. It’s okay if you’re not the life of the party. It’s fine if you’re not a stand-up comedian. Just be you. Real life provides real humor when we’re paying attention to it. Share what makes you laugh.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Think of fun ways you can connect with your business or social circles. When you’re with your tribe—or like-minded people—they’ll laugh and learn right alongside you.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“My friend Scott Friedman (ScottFriedman.net) is a motivational humorist who specializes in employee engagement, celebration, and customer service. He teaches organizations that when their organizations are happy, they enjoy increased productivity, higher performance, better engagement, and elevated levels of health and well-being among their people.
In his book, Happily Ever Laughter, Scott shares, “Personal stories are excellent (and entertaining) catalysts both for communicating big ideas and for presenting your most original humor. Better yet, stories let you provide more substance in less time. Jokes, on the other hand, have less reach substance-wise. Why? Because a joke is meant to entertain. A story, on the other hand, has inherent meaning. Stories allow the audience to get to know you, your imperfections, your flaws, and your foolishness. You can be vulnerable right there with audience watching. You can entertain, enlighten and teach all in the same effort.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Humor can heal the heart, instill hope, bring people together, and remind them that life isn’t meant to be so doggone serious. Why not use it for good? There is no denying that humor’s uplifting, energizing, and positive impact can transform lives for the better.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact
“Choose the Happy Side of Life. Seek ways to bring humor, laughter, and joy to work. It will not only make work more fun, but it can positively impact your bottom line.”
Source: The Art of Connection: 8 Ways to Enrich Rapport & Kinship for Positive Impact