Building a Rapport

Business is not just doing deals; business is having great products, doing great engineering, and providing tremendous service to customers. Finally, business is a … of human relationships.' H Ross Perot

Time and time again professionals who are working internationally say that relationship building, creating Perot's cobweb, is the central success factor for international business. In fact, working life depends upon the relationships which we can create and … with a wide range of individuals, from colleagues, managers, suppliers and customers through to coaches, mentors and external consultants.

International presenters also require relationship management skills - rapport-building, influencing, managing conflict - to engage and to connect to their international audiences effectively. In this module we will look at these skills and provide practical ideas … building relationships with audiences more quickly and more effectively.

Building rapport is an essential international competence. Worldwork's International Profiler', a psychometric tool for developing intercultural competence, … individuals with this competence as people who:

• develop connections on a'personal as well as a professional level

• are able to establish trust in different ways

• show warmth and attentiveness when building relationships

• choose behaviours that are comfortable for international partners

• build a sense of 'we'.

A presentation begins the moment an audience member hears about the event and starts planning to attend. At this point, impressions of the topic and of the presenter begin to form, … expectations of the likely benefits and outcomes. If these impressions and expectations are positive, the presenter is already winning before a single word is spoken. So let's think about how presenters can achieve this.

Tips for pre-presentation email and telephone contacts with your audience

• Contact key decision-makers to get a feel for their thinking on the topic.

• Express positive thoughts about meeting the individual participants.

• Stress concrete benefits to the individuals … the presentation.

Strategies for building rapport quickly with your audience before you begin

A presentation is a social moment providing important networking opportunities.

… the opportunity to welcome individual audience members the moment they enter the room, to get to know them a little and to put them in the right mood to receive your message.

Follow these tips to manage first contacts effectively:

Welcome positively

Remember, it's not only what you say, it's how you say it.
Blend friendly body language such as a smile, strong eye contact and … handshake with a few positive words.

Be curious - ask questions

An individual will feel welcomed if you … polite questions about travel and accommodation, for example.

Show knowledge

Show that you know something about them and their professional situation. Sometimes it … to do a little research beforehand.