Every single person in this world, whether they want to admit it or not, wants to feel important. If you can make someone feel important, they will instantly like you. And the easiest way to make a person feel important is to show a genuine interest in them.
Even though I have done many courses and read many books on this topic, and this means no disrespect to the presenters and authors, my best teacher has been my pet dog, Bear. The genuine interest he shows in me every time I see him, and if you have a dog you would have to agree, makes me feel great.
It doesn’t matter if I have been away for an hour, a day, a week, or even longer, he is still just as excited to see me, and when I am playing with him, nothing else matters to him. He gives me his undivided attention, and it is genuine. This makes me feel acknowledged and this is important to me. And of course, I love him for this.
When you show a real or genuine interest in the person you are talking to, it shows them that you feel what they are saying is interesting. This satisfies their need to feel important because they are telling you something you want to know. Even if what they are telling you isn’t that important to you, it is to them. By putting your focus on them makes them feel good. And they know that you are the one that is making them feel good, so of course they will like you. Now when someone likes you, it’s impossible not to go into rapport with them.
So why is all this important? If you are in rapport with someone, if they like you and you make them feel important then they are more likely to buy into whatever you are selling them. Maybe you are selling them a product, or a service, or you may even be selling them yourself.
Picture this. You are at a party and you spot someone that you would like to get to know better. You go over and start a conversation with them. You give them your undivided attention, you show a genuine interest in them and what they are saying. You make them feel as if they are the most important person in the room.
You have now satisfied a major need that they have and so they feel good, really good. And they know that it was you that made them feel this way. Rapport has been created between you. As long as you keep making them feel good, they will be interested in you. And there is the start of what could be something special.
So go out and practice this skill. With every conversation you have, show a genuine interest in the other person and what they are saying to you. Make them feel important. They will feel good, they will know that you made them feel good, and you will create instant likeability.
If you would like to know more about making people feel important and building rapport, CLICK HERE to schedule a conversation with Craig.