Pages

Friday, March 30, 2012

Develop Your Networking Skills

By Nick Hill


Making the conditions for fulfilling relationships is critical in business and is a key ability that can be learned.

"Rapport" can be described as the sensation you get when 'things are going well ' with another person and they too - feel the same way'. To spotlight this let me permit your mind to stray a little.

Big Bro

Thank goodness this Television program does not grace our screens anymore but let us just imagine for a minute that we (stupidly) filled in an application form, got thru the rounds of interview and before we all know it we are outside the Big Brother house, waving to the audience and the door slides closed behind us. You go down the stairs to open the door that leads into the house..

Hold on!

The tannoy bursts into life, "This is Big Brother, before you enter into the house you must go into the room to your left and wait for further instructions". You look left, a door opens, you go into the room and the door closes behind you.

The room is 12 x 12 feet, all white, no windows and you can not get out. The tannoy bursts into life - "In a minute somebody will enter into the room and you have got to spend an hour with that person - Who could it be?

Enter into the room somebody who you really like, friend, loved one, son or daughter. You spend an hour chatting about 'what might occur ' during your stay and lots of other things, the conversation flows, you feel good with this person or other language that describes the experience of being with someone you love. The hour ends, that person leaves and you are alone again in the room.

The tannoy bursts into life again and you are told that someone else will be coming into the room. You wait with baited breath.

In enters someone whom historically you have had 'differences ' with........60 minutes and counting......difficult talks, nothing in common, you simply need to get out!

Rapport in Action

When you start to think on the 2 experiences above, you may have spotted a movement in sensation as you consider the above eventualities. Being with someone you like feels completely different to being with somebody you do not like! So how can you create the conditions where you 'get on ' like a house on fire. Here are some thoughts:

1. Find common ground - perform some research, what does the person like, detest? Is there a standard theme of the day you can both debate?

2. Focus on body language? Matching and mirroring of somebody's non-verbal communication and verbal communication patterning has been proved by many analysts to bolster relations.

3. Ask lots of questions of the other? This shows you are intersted in them and with folk liking nothing more than talking about themselves?

4. Be complimentary - folk like to be feted and congratulated, give it where necessary and when deserved.

By following a number of these simple principles, you will start to create the conditions for good relationships that will steer you toward your goal or end result - whatever that's! Then you'll have developed more effective communication skills.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment