To run a successful business it is important to build a good rapport with everyone you meet (you never know when you may need their help, or they yours). For example it is important to have strong relationships with clients, consumers, business partners, employees and other business professionals as they are all people that make your business tick and they will be less willing to do so if they do not have a good relationship with you. So, here at Credico UK we have shared our top tips to building a good rapport.

Be genuine
Be yourself and people will appreciate you for it, people can often tell when a person is being fake and they will not appreciate this – especially in a business where consumers need to trust you in order to purchase from you. Relax, smile and go with a positive attitude and good things will follow.

Be warm and friendly
Cold people get cold reactions from other people. Approach rapport building with the intent to be warm and friendly. Smile, give a firm handshake, make eye contact, and engage.

Show interest
People are often very self-focused, but this can be helpful for businesses as they need to learn about their prospects before they can provide the best solutions. People want to feel like they can openly share what they are thinking, including their desires, fears and problems. The more genuinely interested you appear the more relaxed and willing to share they’re likely to be.

Don’t seem too needy
We all want to be liked but trying too hard can often come across as needy and conspicuous. You cannot force someone to like you. Show interest, but don’t act meek, overly friendly, or too pushy or you will put the other person off.

Give genuine compliments
Sycophants get nowhere, but genuine compliments are endearing. If you like the office, someone’s website, or are impressed with their book, say so. The person will appreciate this and it will go a long way towards building rapport.

Calibrate the rapport to “just right”
If you have an hour long meeting with a client don’t think “I need to use the whole time to get my points across, there is no time for chitchat.” Diving straight in with no ice breaking conversation is not a good way to build rapport. However, spending too much time chatting is not the answer either. Do your best to read the other person and find the right amount of rapport-focused conversation.

Read the culture
You can be yourself but at the same time you can adjust your approach to the other person and company. Don’t change who you are to fit the culture, but be aware of how the culture works and how it best responds.