by Sherie Venner
Writing is a marvelous mode of communication and yet, we can so often be misunderstood, can’t we? One way that helps us communicate more effectively is to have rapport.
What is rapport? It is a deep level of communication where the other person feels truly appreciated. You can see their point of view, feel their pain, hear their concerns…and if you can do that, you just might have the solution that they are looking for…
I am a very visual person, so when I write my posts on my blog, I have an image that I pick to go with each article. That helps other people who learn in a predominately visual fashion, to form a picture in their mind and sets up some parameters.
What do you do if you don’t incorporate pictures into your writing? Well, if you are a technical writer or a grant proposal writer, you might not. Then it becomes necessary to use your words in order to communicate. So, you can use visual descriptive words…
For example, let’s say that you are writing about editing an article. (If you look around here on Rob’s blog, you will find the article that I am referring to, Drafty House!). If I use the metaphor of a broken down house, the words I use will be…..
- Visual (seeing/sight) words……paint the walls, trees, shrubs…see, eye…
- Auditory (sounds/hearing) words…even the tone needs to be reviewed; wretched language pokes me in the eye…
- Kinesthetic (feeling, emotional, sense of movement) words…catch my eye, how does a person feel moving around this drafty old house…
If you add variety to your writing, then you will build rapport with your client/reader, you will get your point across, they will see what you are saying and they will feel like someone out there is listening…and then, you both get what you want. They will be able to grasp what you are saying because you have spoken their language. It is as if you can read their mind and they feel comfortable with you.
Perhaps, you can incorporate videos and audios as well as the written word, especially if you are a blog owner. The use of indentation, bullet lists, numbered lists and white space also help to build rapport because it makes the ease of reading smoother, as well as visual.
These are simple ways to connect with people, there are more, of course. When you share your own personal experiences and let us peek into the curtained windows of your life, we smile and we understand each other a bit more. When you allow some of your own vulnerabilities to be visible, especially the ones that you have overcome, we can feel like you are a friend.
Rapport is important in connecting and networking; reaching out to editors and publishers and colleagues who help you in the writing process. If your article is purely technical, you can add rapport building writing to inquiry letters, etc. Then the soft people skills come into play, don’t you think?
Try it and see. . .what happens. . .sound good?
About the Author:
Sherie Venner is a relationship coach who emphasizes self-awareness, communication, and honesty between people in matters that relate to family, love, and day-to-day living. Her “no nonsense” advice comes straight from the hip and is based on years of research into human interaction.
“Drive your own life. . .you deserve to, don’t you?” We certainly do.
You can find Sherie at www.sherievenner.com and find her on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
4 comments
Sherie
January 18, 2012 at 11:41 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Thanks for the opportunity to guest blog for you, Rob! I consider it to be an honor to write for someone who is such a great writer! : D
Rob
January 18, 2012 at 11:58 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
The pleasure is all mine. You brought up some points about rapport that I hadn’t considered before…using one of my own postings as an example! You really are an expert in your area.
I look forward to the next time I can have you write a guest post for me.
Eva Blaskovic
February 12, 2012 at 6:07 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Great post and a wonderful topic. Rapport is something we build in many areas: in our business, writing, and relationships.
Christopher O. Wait
February 29, 2012 at 12:25 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I like this post!
Anyone who writes for a business blog should read it, after all, they ARE writing to build the rapport of the company with potential and exisiting customers.
Using pictures/videos helps reinforce your “theme” (and not to mention your Google ranking!).
And as a copywriter, I love the use of visually/aurally descriptive words and tone.
Stories, oh how I love stories! Since the dawn of time we have taught and learned through the sharing of experiences through stories and so many people could benefit and get their message understood much clearer if they only used a story as reinforcement.
Great topic Sherie!