It’s hard to get a person to open up, unless they feel like they have rapport with you. Why is empathy the secret to building a genuine connection with someone? Why is it so good to ask “what” questions, not “why” questions? How do all these points improve your relationships? On this episode, Dr. Debra Dupree is back to share more brilliant verbal ninja moves that will improve your emotional intelligence.
Three Things We Learned
Think empathy, not sympathy
Sympathy comes from having the same experience as someone, but empathy is showing that you understand what they’re going through. It makes people feel heard, and that you recognize where they are. This is a powerful way to connect.
Ask what questions, not why question
You put people at ease when you ask what questions. Why questions can easily make someone defensive. You can very easily reframe your question by asking your question as a what and not a why. You are going to get a better answer that way.
Go from being unconsciously incompetent to unconsciously competent
At any given time, we’re unconsciously incompetent, we don’t know what we don’t know.
We want to move towards being consciously incompetent so we can continue to build, and lead and grow. Ultimately we want to be unconsciously competent.
Replay CTA
As individuals we all feel like our experiences are uniquely our own, so when you empathize you are acknowledging that, and also making them feel heard. Building rapport is all about building trust, building a connection and giving them the space to share their feelings and thoughts. If you can bring empathy, integrity, sincerity, compassion, and reliability to the table, you can get people to open up and that will create a very strong relationship and business.
