Be more present and avoid multitasking in my head while someone is talking or presenting an issue to me.
Alexander,
Great awareness. Tell me, what steps are you going to take to make sure you are actively listening?
Shannon Gormley
Alexander, thanks for sharing. What have you found to be successful when building rapport this way?
Shannon Gormley
Being culturally adept is always helpful and allows you to quickly build rapport with individuals in a diverse environment.
I will work on reading people more consistently and listening actively.
Lorri, great point. The "detail to apprearance" is a great tip for anyone struggling with small talk. In most cases, you should be able to compliment or ask questions about something that a potential student is wearing and hopefully some commonality comes out of that discussion. Great Job.
Shannon Gormley
I am going to work on small talk and detail to appearance. I think small talk is an easy way to find something in common with the person and move onto the other steps which will eventually lead to bonding with the student. Detail to appearance can give us a lot of clues on what to discuss during small talk. Lorri Brown
Thanks Julian. Yes, being a good listener can start to build rapport with another individual because you are showing respect. Keep up the great work.
Shannon Gormley
first of all you have to be a good listener to gain a good report with people in general. People have to feel that you are ginuine and that you have are honest.
MIGUEL,
It sounds like you ensure that you are respectful and courteous in all of your conversations with students, which is essential when working to develop rapport. What are some of the additional skills you'd like to work on to improve the rapport you build with your students, their families, and your colleagues?
Shannon Gormley
The ability that I think that she is due to use for greater coneccion with the people in general it is always to maintain respect and courtesy and directing the conversation towards the main subject
Julius ,
This is great awareness to have of where you'd like to start to build rapport with your students and others. What specifically might you do to improve your listening and communication skills?
Shannon Gormley
David,
Thank you for sharing your practices and experiences. It sounds like you believe that it begins and ends with you when it comes to establishing rapport with your students and staff. I also hear that because you make the choice to actively build and develop rapport with all individuals, your institution experiences a positive "trickle down" effect! Keep up the good work.
Shannon Gormley
It is not that difficult or complicated and there is a reason for the saying, "it all starts at the top." I find that my attitude, manners, and habits are reflected in all of the staff and eventually the whole school. I make myself visible, engage staff & students, smile, downplay small issues, and thank people when appropiate. Small things that make a big impact on the tone of the school. This also makes me more approachable and far easier to build rapport with staff & students.
I will work on my listening skills and communication skills needed to become better at my craft.
David, thanks for your insight. You are right and practice makes perfect. Try to use the communication hierarchy in everyday conversations too. You will be surprised at the results. I'm curious, how do you motivate others to stay positive and build rapport?
I will be more cognizant of the communication hierarchy and how that affects every conversation and relationship in the school. I have always believed in the power of attitude and remebering people's names. It was nice to hear some validation of that practice. It is an aspect of managing our school that simply cannot afford to take a week or a day off.
Excellent insights, Tricia. It's not uncommon to hear that small talk is a challenge for quite a few. And yet, we know that great information can come when we take the time to "chat" with another person. Perhaps this is another instance where you can use your "cancel, cancel" technique to remind yourself to spend some time making small talk rather than moving up the hierarchy too quickly.
I will work on the small talk portion. I am not much for small talk or wasting time, but i understand lots of information can come from small talk, so to speak.
Thank you for sharing your observations, Faye. Ultimately, each of these components (product knowledge, sales skills, people skills and attitude) is important for your overall success. I get the sense that you've got a clear picture of the role each plays in your interactions with students and prospective students and how improving one area might improve your interactions overall.
