Seeing rapport happen

How do you know when you are in rapport? There are a few indicators that you may notice. As you match and mirror the patient or customer, you may notice some feeling of warmth between you. Now that might sound a bit ‘fuzzy’, but can you remember a time when you got on really well with someone you had just met? You know the feeling: it’s like you have known the person for a long time even though you haven’t.

You may actually notice a colour-change in the patient’s face. And you may notice something referred to as ‘pacing’. When in true rapport, if you move your left hand, for example, the patient or customer will feel a desire to move their hand too. When this happens you are in rapport and only now are you ready to exchange important information with a patient or customer. But how many times do we just get to telling people the facts about their medicines and forget about the rapport?

When you have exchanged pertinent information and ensured understanding by the patient, you should simply move or change position to gently break rapport. Again, this should be undertaken subtlly.

As a pharmacist, I practised this technique every day with new customers, current patients and employees and I was astonished by the impact. I also noticed how much time I saved by being a better communicator.

Further reading

• Fernández EI. Verbal and nonverbal concomitants of rapport in health care encounters: implications for interpreters. Universidad de Granada, Journal of Specialised Translation, Issue 14, July; 2010
• For more information on neurolinguistic programming and techniques in pharmacy, contact Jacqui@tlcperformance.org

 

The next step is to put these ideas into action. Finish by recording your learning outcomes.