Imagine if there was something that, if you did it consistently, would improve all relationships completely. Wouldn't that be amazing? I don't want to overstate it, but I think the concept of the "Umbrella of Rapport", might just be that powerful, so please enjoy. Today I came across some notes from an internal presentation that I did for our sales people last year on how they might improve their relationships, in this case with our clients. Part of it included this powerful idea. I don't take credit for it, I first heard it from Tony Robbins, but I have added my own thoughts below.
In my opinion the price of entry in business today, includes a number of things without which you won't even be considered. These are: - Being professional - Being trustworthy and reliable - Being educated - Working hard - Having a plan for success To stand out you need to do even more, which is where rapport comes in. SO WHAT IS THE UMBRELLA OF RAPPORT? Essentially it's the idea that you must base all your interactions around the idea of building and maintaining rapport ... If you do, life is good, if you don't you get wet. Imagine for a moment that you aren't in a negotiation, but you are the gentleman above walking with his partner. For both of you to share this umbrella he must assume the responsibility of keeping both of them dry, not just himself. Life is generally the same, in that we must all take responsibility for the rapport we have with others, and not take it for granted, because as soon as it's broken relationships become strained. So let's look at this example from a few different perspectives. What if ... - One is party is small and the other big? Suddenly we have different needs, these needs must be honored. - One person is walking fast while other wants to go slow or stop all the time. We all know that this can be really frustrating, but if it's a fact we must allow for it: otherwise this is a guaranteed way for one of you to be wet and pissed off. - Whose responsibility is it to maintain rapport, who is in control? The person holding the umbrella (running the negotiation) or the other person. The truth is we both need to take care. - What if you must break rapport? Maybe the man decides he must run for the car. Maybe in life everyone's needs can't be met, or a difficult message needs to be delivered. Is breaking rapport justified and how might it be recovered? - Who sets direction? - Who must be the most careful? Image how your marriage might be if your first goal was to love and honor that person, to build and maintain rapport before trying to meet your own needs. You would suddenly see that we travel at different speeds, have different needs, and both must work at communication. Image if you "loved" your customers, or should I say treated them with love, making rapport the central goal first, before the sale? What would those relationships be like, what would being at work be like? Sadly I think most of us are fairly careless when it comes to the rapport we have with others, myself included at times. We are successful often due to good luck rather than good management, and that's what makes this concept so powerful. If you dare to be different, if you dare to throw your heart into your relationships first, you stand out as a shinning light in comparison to everyone who's just going through the motions. Further Reading Rapport in education Rapport in sales In dating ... Please forgive me for this example :-) Rapport with your coffee I hope you enjoyed this, I'd love to hear your own stories and what you think, how about sharing below?