How can you build rapport with colleagues or clients online?

1. Make the communication healthy, a fine balance between business and light-hearted communication 2. Make communication consistent 3. Be inclusive and respectful of the language used for communication

Video calls offer the opportunity for enhanced interpersonal connections and rapport-building, which are essential for effective communication and collaboration. Utilizing video calls fosters a sense of presence and immediacy, enabling participants to establish trust, build relationships, and convey empathy more effectively than through text-based communication alone. Moreover, video calls facilitate real-time interaction and feedback, promoting active engagement and participation among meeting participants. By leveraging video calls whenever possible, teams can enhance communication dynamics, strengthen team cohesion, and foster a more inclusive and collaborative work environment.

Join the video call on time and have necessary materials ready, showing commitment and respect. Introduce yourself clearly and warmly, creating a positive first impression. Maintain a professional appearance and organized background to convey seriousness. Investing in good equipment ensures clear communication. Maintain eye contact and engagement: Looking into the webcam forms a more personal connection. Active listening, nodding, and hand gestures show attentiveness. Address everyone by their names and respect their opinions. Share screens when necessary: Facilitate better understanding by displaying data or resources. Encourage collaboration: Involve all participants with open-ended questions and discussions.

Empathy is to be in someone's shoes. In business, Empathy works as a bridge that connects you and the client or guest. The success of your customer service will be determined by how much you made the customer feelings happy or satisfied.

We have several best practices that we share to encourage the development of viable business relationships on LinkedIn. Beginning with 1) Adopt consistency with personalized invitations as much as possible (although now a real challenge for Basic Members) 2) Use the LI mobile app to leave a 1-minute 'TY for connecting' voice message 3) Pay attention to their Posts and ENGAGE when you can add value to the content 4) Invite to a 30-minute 'get to know you' Zoom 5) If local to you, invite them to a networking event, meet them there, and introduce them to other professionals 6) If local, invite them to meet IRL for coffee 7) Offer intros to those in their target market

Personalized communication fosters rapport and trust, making interactions more effective and relevant. By addressing individual preferences, needs, and interests, tailored messages enhance engagement and understanding. Customizing content for background knowledge, experiences, or expertise ensures clarity. Demonstrating empathy and care, personalization leads to higher response rates, as messages resonate with the recipient's motivations. This results in increased customer loyalty, satisfaction, and experiences, as individuals feel valued and understood. Personalized communication also supports diversity and inclusion, recognizing and respecting differences while creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels heard and considered.