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title: Start by building rapport
tags: [Week 7, ' M11', ' H3']

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tags: Week 7, H3, M11
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# Start by building rapport
:::info 
**You're in step 2 of a discovery call:** Introduction
::: 

Rapport is a connection or relationship with someone else. It can be considered as a state of harmonious understanding with another individual or group. Building rapport is the process of developing that connection with someone else.

Sometimes rapport happens naturally. We have all had experiences where we ‘hit it off’ or ‘get on well’ with somebody else without having to try. This is often how friendships start. However, rapport can also be built and developed consciously by finding common ground, and being empathic.

People tend to do business with people they like, so you need to become a master at building rapport.

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## The first seconds of the conversation are crucial
Creating rapport at the beginning of a conversation with somebody new will often make the outcome of the conversation more positive.

Yet for many, starting a conversation with a stranger is a stressful event. We may be lost for words, or awkward with our body language and mannerisms. 

However stressful and/or nervous you may feel, the first thing you need to do is to try breathe, try to relax and remain calm. By decreasing the tension in the situation communication becomes easier and rapport grows.

When you meet somebody for the first time, there are some easy things that you can do to start off on the right foot:

- [x] **Look professional.**
Chances are you will be conducting your meeting over a video call. If this is the case, make sure you look professional. Have a professional background and make sure you're dressed correctly for the occassion.

- [x] **Your tone.**
How you say something may be as important as what you say. Start off with a relaxed, candid,  positive tone to greet your prospect.

- [x] **Use non-threatening and ‘safe topics’ for initial small talk.**
Discuss mutual interests you've found during your research. Bring up local news or events. Avoid talking too much about yourself and avoid asking direct questions about the other person.

- [x] **Use open questions.**
These are the ones that give space for the prospect to reply openly - no "yes" or "no" questions at this stage. 

- [x] **Try to use a little humour.**
Laughing together creates harmony, make a joke about yourself or the situation/circumstances you are in, but avoid making jokes about other people. 

- [x] **Show some empathy.**
Demonstrate that you can see the other person’s point of view. Remember, rapport is all about finding similarities and ‘being on the same wavelength’ as somebody else. Being sympatheic will help to achieve this.

- [x] **Say you will be taking notes.**
During the call opening, it is the perfect time to let your prospect know that you will be taking notes - either digitally or physically using pen and paper. Say that this is why you may be looking away from them at times and that they shall not feel distracted or disrespected.

A word of warning though: 

**Don't spend too long!** 

You don't have much time, so spend maximum 2-3 minutes breaking the ice before you jump into sharing your agenda (see next lesson).

:::info
**Practical tip:** Breaking the ice at the beginning of the conversation is best done using safe topics to get warmed up. Here are some examples: current working situation (home vs. office), recent or upcoming vacation, hometown, commonalities you found from your research on LinkedIn. 

Example 1: 
> You: Hey Mark, nice to meet you over Zoom! 
> Prospect: Likewise, looking forward to our conversation.

> You: Mark, by your background it looks like you are also working from home, right? 
Prospect: Yeah, that's right. I really have a great setup here by now.

> You: Have you read all those books (pointing to the bookshelf in the background)? 
...

Example 2: 
> You: Hey Mark, nice to meet you over Zoom! 
> Prospect: Likewise, looking forward to our conversation.

> You: Mark, how is your week going so far? 
Prospect: It's going alright. We have an extremely busy quarter but for all the right reasons. How about you?

> You: Same here! We are currently (hiring a lot of new people / seeing an increased demand for X etc.) but those are all good things.


After opening the call like you move on to structuring the conversation by setting an agenda and aligning on the call objective (upcoming learning unit).
:::

Don't worry,  the more calls you do, the more natural this will become. As you progress through the call,  there are some additional tips you can follow to continue establishing rapport with that person.

Here are 10 top general tips to build rapport with anyone over a video call 👇 


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