It is inevitable that we as humans need relationships in our lives. Just think about it for a while. No-one is an island. As we ponder over how this wonderful universe is organized it becomes obvious that everything is in relation to something else. Take something as simple as the moon. The moon is in perfect orbit with the earth and the sun. Although the moon is pretty impressive it would not be able to exist without the other planets around it. Its magnetic fields work in perfect harmony with the other heavenly bodies. Sounds familiar? Our interactions with other people are vital to our achievements to say the least.
Interpersonal relationships come into play whether it is at home with family and friends or in your career. You have an important meeting, job interview or some other important opportunity. What would you give to be able to use verbal and non-verbal communication in just the right manner to be influential enough to be able to close the deal? Negotiating a win-win has never been so easy. How can you learn this powerful way of building relationships that will last?
The answer comes from a communication and personal development tool developed in 1970 by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. These two men said that Neuro- Linguistic Programming (NLP) is so powerful it can help us with phobias, learning disorders and can even be used in psychotherapy. There are also very good methods for building interpersonal relationships. One of those methods is Building Rapport.
Have you ever felt that you are making a connection with someone in the first few seconds of communicating with them? You feel as if the two of you have something in common? No you are not in love. However you and your new best friend have created rapport. Rapport is this lovely subconscious connection your brain creates when it sees that you have something in common with someone else. You will feel an instant connection and a weird almost magical feeling of similarity and association. What if you could control this wonderful magical wand and create instant connections with people you meet?
Body language is a must for rapport. You have to watch their body language carefully and then mirror what you see. Note the following: the position of the legs, arms, head, hands and even the pattern of their breathing. Start mirroring what you see. In no time the other person will be able to feel a connection with you.
Studying methods of building a connection with people will be a helpful when you want to be influential. Rapport is an amazing tool to have in your toolset. However there are much more that you can do with NLP.
