4 Blocks to Building Rapport: Are You using them?

Many years ago I attended business school. After school, I got a job in the corporate world of business. Writing in these two venues was very formal – just like this paragraph.

Then I started blogging. Blogging is casual and uses conversational language that my professors and bosses would have cringed at. (Yes that is a preposition at the end of the previous sentence.)

So what does language have to do with building rapport? Everything!

1) Using Casual Language is the first block to building rapport. Readers are looking for solutions to problems – not perfect prose. Imagine a casual conversation with your good friend as you write.

2) Being Personal is the second rapport-building block. Sharing stories, about your business or personal life, makes you come alive to your readers. You become someone they can share with, not just some faceless “blogger.”

3) Sharing your struggles and failures is the third block of building rapport. This is my favorite building block because I have so much to learn. I hope people will be patient with me as I learn and share with me their solutions to problems. I am so excited when I find something that works that I love to share it – especially after I have struggled with a problem for a while.

4) Talking about others’ achievements is the fourth rapport block to use. Everyone likes to savor their successes. It is especially fun when someone else talks about that success. It shows that you are wiling to share the spotlight and help them.

So, what building blocks of rapport do you use?