Establishing a sense of congruence or similarity with other people is an important element of building rapport. When you understand other people, and are attuned to their needs and desires, they are more likely to feel as though you’re on the same wavelength.
Learning what makes people tick facilitates understanding and connecting with them. This is especially useful in negotiations or when you’re involved in sales, customer service or other situations in which sorting out all of your options is critical. Here are guidelines that will help you hone in on their needs:
- What do they value?
- What’s important to them?
- How do they like to spend their time?
- What are their goals?
- What motivates them?
- What makes them happy?
- What do they get excited about?
- What are their current concerns?
- What’s their current lifestyle?
- How might a product or service fit their current lifestyle?
- Who are the important people in their lives, personally and professionally?
*This article is from the book, “Get Along with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere” by Arnold Sanow and Sandra Strauss.
