RAPPORT! RAPPORT! RAPPORT!

 

 

On a recent trip to the hairdressers I was pleasantly reminded of one of the 4 Pillars of NLP – Rapport!

When you are in rapport with someone it feels great!    

 

It was early morning when I stepped inside the hairdressers.  The room had yet to fill with more clients and I instantly felt the hint of ‘rapport’ softly hovering in the room as the quiet of the day gently gathered momentum.  My stylist asked me about my hair and with a lovely authenticity.  Truly interested in what I thought of the colour and how I liked the cut since my last visit.  The customer service was so appropriate.  All the professionals were genuinely connecting with their clients and as more clients arrived so to, did the friendly greetings being exchanged.

 

As I sat in front of the huge ornate mirror, I was struck by just how much chatter was going on around. Lots of laughter and smiling faces. It was everywhere!  To my left! To my right! Behind me!  It really was a sight to behold and a sound to listen to!  

 

Observing the body language and the ‘lip movements’ of conversations that were being shared between stylists, nail technicians and clients, I thoroughly enjoyed the moment.  

 

I noticed that people’s faces were mirroring each other.  Smiles were exchanged readily, laughter was returned in equal measure, even some intimate sharing in low tones.  It was obvious that the professionals know their clients well and in the time they have together, connect at a human and personal level.  All life reflected here with a sharing of births, deaths and marriages.  This was one of those moments that has now been firmly planted in my sub-conscious mind as a useful resource and reminder of the meaning of rapport and what it looks like, sounds like and feels like!

 

Remembering a line in the Simply Changing Coaching Materials – ‘being in rapport with a person feels just great’ – I smiled inwardly and outwardly as I acknowledged that every single person in the salon must already be feeling great! 

 

By the time I left, I was feeling great too and, as I drove home, it made me ponder on the following:

 

• Where and how often do we see rapport in our own lives?

• Are we content with the level of rapport we have?

• How can we continue to move towards being in rapport - so we feel just great?

 

Here’s to much more rapport in all of our lives! 

 

Mary  x