What are the most effective strategies for building rapport with clients over the phone and video chat?

Be fully present because there is power in your presence. Active listening involves being intentional to concentrate fully, listening to understand and not to reply and remembering what individuals say. Regardless of how digital our interactions become, the human touch remains invaluable. Be intentional to remember small details from previous conversations. Mention them in your subsequent interactions. For instance, if a client shared about their daughter's upcoming wedding plans the previous week, ask them how it went. Always aim to find those small yet significant connection points. They make interactions genuine and memorable and affirms that the power of your presence makes an invaluable difference.

Meet them where they are by asking open ended questions and being curious! Learn what is on their mind, what are some of their biggest challenges or obstacles. This builds trust and rapport and makes your clients feel noticed and appreciate the space you created for them to share openly.

Rapport begins by showing up and being interested versus trying to be interesting. Demonstrate interest through curiosity. Ask questions to demonstrate curiosity and watch the fun begin. Listen to understand and duplicate what's being said versus waiting in your mind for a cue to respond. Doing that knocks you out of being present. Communication goes better when everyone is present.

Listen curiously, empathetically, non-judgmentally and generatively to verbal expressions and observe keenly nonverbal cues, acknowledge respectfully, share how it resonates with you impactfully, and then inquire how you may help. Partner in trust.

I believe remembering to let them talk is key. You can tell a lot about someone and their motives when they have the floor. Whether on screen or on phone, when you allow them to talk with no outside distractions, it makes them more willing and more comfortable to open up about whatever the topic at hand is. That goes right into the importance of listening. Listening allows you to go deeper into the conversation because you can ask more questions according to what has been said already. When one person talks, they already know what they are going to say. When someone listens, they are open to learning new things.

I find this one important and effective if you can get good at it. I find you have to match their emotion with the same level of energy, not jump on the emotion with them

This is crucial: understand the customer's style and situation. It's about being empathetic and choosing the best communication style approach.

Be a "mood sponge." Take in how the other person is feeling. Are they nervous? Are they happy? Are they angry? Are they excited? Once you have discerned how you think that they are feeling, let them know how you are intuiting their behavior. Asking something like "you seem upset, how can I help?" gives them a wide berth. The more you can get your clients to explain what they need and want, the easier it is to deliver.

As a trauma therapist, honoring client's language, style and preferences are essential to validating their emotional experiences. A humanistic, person-centered approach to mental health therapy speaks to this approach well. I would also suggest that once you understand the client's style and preferences fully, do you then collaborate on working with the client to shift or "rewrite" their internal narrative to what they prefer. Narrative therapy is a great way to empower clients to center themselves and reclaim control/power over what feels like overwhelming or helpless situations.

Folks prefer to be on/off camera for a number of reasons, so following the client's lead and establishing clear expectations for partnership up front is key to establishing trust and rapport! On the flip side, it's equally important to authentically convey your style, requests, and approach as a coach so you can mutually agree if you're a fit. If you find yourself doing too much shape shifting to meet someone where they are, sometimes it could be they are a better fit for a different coach or modality like consulting or therapy.

Clear is kind. If you don't set the parameters for how you will work together, you leave them guessing. Boundaries are not confrontational. They're there to prevent resentment.

We must have clear expectations for both sides. Transparency at the beginning is crucial to building a lasting connection. Trust is never immediate. Starting out on the right foot will ensure the relationship works.

A teachable moment right here with boundary setting. Establishing boundaries from the first contact with a client should be a non-negotiable. Boundaries create clear expectations for both the client and the counselor. We should all be in the practice of setting boundaries personally and professionally. Established boundaries will help avoid burnout as well, another issue within the helping professions. I have had clients who had poor or non-existent boundaries, and thus, the setting of boundaries in my sessions demonstrated to the client that boundary setting is a healthy behavior. Many of my clients learned in session to feel empowered to create realistic boundaries, often with their partner or children. For me, that was a win!

Establishing clear expectations and boundaries can enhance the trust between both parties. However, it is fundamental for them to be maintained continuously. Boundaries are equal to trust and clear expectations. As a client, during my first therapy session, my therapist established her boundaries, and as a client, I followed and established mine. That being said, our boundaries as a client-therapist pair gave us the opportunity to have clear expectations.

In my experience as a trauma therapist, it's less about identifying boundaries they'd like to communicate with people in their lives and more about what they should do when those boundaries are continually violated. Many of us can express clear expectation and boundaries; however, holding others accountable is more difficult.

Firstly you need to decide a platform that works for the sessions, TEAMS, ZOOM and Google meet all work well but agree a technology to suit you and your client. For some calls I record the content and make this available to the client only for them to be able to work back through the conversation. Also, consider using a transcript tool such as OTTER to help with this. I prefer to use video for the at least the first few meetings, this allows you to build a rapport and show your committed to the conversation (A phone call can often hide distractions)

Ensure that you are using platforms that hare secure to avoid privacy breaches. If you record sessions, inform your client ahead of time about the recordings, why a recording is being created, and who will have access to the recording.

Teams or Zoom to start and then move to just a call if the client wants this. I don't limit my contact to one call a week though, I might be constantly going back and forth via Text or LinkedIn as well depending on what we are working on together

Use of technology varies between regions and countries. With older clients, technology use may pose certain challenges. Having said that, effective, appropriate, and rational use of strategy is very important.

I do not record. I let them know we don't record and I don't want to make them feel hemmed in or that they can't say something.

I follow up with them, I always have an email window open so that if I say something about a site, or an article, I can put it in there and send it to them.

Giving and taking regular feedback, both are important. It is like checking back periodically if all is proceeding as per agreed parameters and that the client is satisfied with the progress.

With feedback if you record the sessions you can then use a transcript tool or share the recorded video (if you agree to this at the start) If you agree outcomes and actions make sure these are shared after the session. This will keep you both accountable for next steps and clarify what was agreed. With video/phone sessions it is easy to be distracted so this follow up will help keep everyone aligned, both with progress and also set expectations.

Follow up is critical in building rapport virtually. There are excellent tools available for summarizing meetings such as Read Assistant, which uses AI to take meeting notes that can be sent to all participants. Ensuring that all action items are taken care of in a timely manner and that communication continues will help create a foundation of trust even if there is physical distance between you.

Make the call about them. It is their call after all. Show them that you are listening and provide the assistance they are looking for even if it is not what they want to hear. You can tell they are getting value out of the call by their continued conversation.

As a career counselor, if you don't actually care about your client, then you should stop doing business. Your client chose you because you can provide value to their career. We should be a support system as well as a coach.

Career coaching can be a very emotional interaction depending on why they've contacted you. It's important to start by getting to know them outside of an intake form. How you coach is going to look differently for someone that's been laid off, a career changer, or someone just looking for a new role. Adjust as needed to meet them where they are, especially emotionally.

Giving a new client the space and [uninterrupted] time to share their full story, emphasizing the particular pain points that brought them to you is critical. That makes them feel heard and understood - an important first step that shouldn’t be rushed.

Ask good probing questions, make sure you listen carefully to the answers and then summarise them back. Shows you care and are actually listening.

Staying up-to-date with industry trends and resources is crucial for building client relationships. It demonstrates your commitment to providing the best guidance and support and helps you showcase your expertise. As a Women Veteran Transition Specialist, I prioritize continuous learning to stay updated on industry trends and resources that can benefit my clients. This commitment extends to acquiring in-depth knowledge in areas where clients often feel insecure, such as resume-building and employment resources. By seeking out the latest information and best practices in these areas, I can provide clients with up-to-date guidance and have found that when clients see my dedication to their success, they are more willing to engage.

Sometimes you need to make disclosure about yourself, explain your approaches to counselling with the clients, and let them decide whether you are a good fit for them.

Convey empathy You can build rapport and trust by being empathetic over the phone. Consider looking at the situation from the customer or colleague's position and be genuine when sharing suggestions or ideas that can resolve the issue or answer the question.

Contactless interactions are really based and formed on the 'energy' in the room/virtual space/or over the phone. Being Present and Being Intentional really plays a big part in creating a welcoming space to connect with. And at times, all you need is to listen to the other party and just be there for them when they need the room to bare their thoughts. It develops trust and buy in for future dialogue !

Take an interest in the person not just the work. How are they today? Who are they? How did they get here? What do they want from your time today? Being willing to share a little about who you are, what you are feeling today, how you got there as want you might want to get from your time together today.