Rapport - How to Build it with Your Team

I've often heard managers say - "My door is always open,come and talk to me anytime."

You have to accept the fact that your team won't always dothat. They might not want to bother you or they may feelthat they should know the answers to their questions andthey'll look stupid if they ask. And how many times havethey approached you and you've been on the phone or "toobusy?" It's your job to get out and talk to them.

I've also heard managers say - "I sit with my team in anopen-plan office so I'm always available to them and I hearwhat's going on" - OH NO YOU DON'T!

It's important to get out of your office or up off your seatand mix with your people on a regular basis, don't wait forthem to come to you. Pull up a chair and have chat and don'tjust talk about business, find out how they're doing on ahuman level. That doesn't mean prying into their personallife, but your team members want to feel that you'reinterested and care about them as a person.

It's also important that they feel free to chat amongstthemselves so don't stifle that. A team who have goodrelationships with each other are a productive team.

Many business owners and managers aren't comfortable aboutspeaking to their team members unless it's about business.I've worked for many managers who knew nothing or verylittle about me on a personal basis.

One of my colleagues once told me that our manager had askedhim if I was gay. He'd come to this conclusion because theredidn't seem to be a woman in my life. At the time he wascoming to this conclusion, I was going through the break upof my fifteen year marriage to my wife. However my managerdidn't know that nor would he have been able to handle it ifhe did. That doesn't suggest he was a bad person, he justdidn't know how to make that human connection and sadly hedidn't try.

Perhaps you're not comfortable speaking to your team on ahuman level, however, I would ask that you consider theimportance of your communication and rapport buildingskills. Your success as a manager is highly dependent onyour ability to listen and speak with your people.

Human beings crave attention and acceptance and they want toknow you care. If your customers and your team members feelthat you're interested and care about them as individuals,then it becomes so much easier for you to achieve yourgoals.

Successful entrepreneurs are excellent at building rapport.When you meet them they don't necessarily talk aboutthemselves, they ask you questions. I've met severalsuccessful business people and I'm always impressed andflattered by their interest in me.

You can practise your rapport building skills any time,particularly in your personal life. In the locker room at mylocal health club, I notice that many of the guys don'tspeak to each other. I always make a point of saying helloor passing the time of day. If they don't want to talk thenthat's fine. However, I find they usually do and I've hadsome interesting conversations.

And forget what your mother said about never speaking tostrangers - always speak to strangers!

Speak to everyone you meet and practise your rapportbuilding skills - taxi drivers, people in trains, aeroplanesand anywhere else you come into contact. I sometimes have topush myself to do it but I'm always glad when I do.

Discover how you can generate more business by motivatingyour team!Alan Fairweather is the author of "How to get More Salesby Motivating Your Team" This book is packed with practicalthings you can do to get the best out of your people . Click here nowhttp://www.howtogetmoresales.com/Motivating%20Your%20Team.htm