Using 'Mirroring' Technique to establish Rapport with Clients

After reading 'Never Split the Difference' by Chris Voss, there was one profound statement that stood out to me the most.

The paragraph mentioned there was a study done with 2 groups of restaurant servers.

1. Group 1 would respond to the customer's order with words such as: Great or No Problem.
2. Group 2 would respond by repeating back the order to the customer.

"The average tip of the waiters who mirrored was 70 percent more than of those who used positive reinforcement."

This is a powerful insight even if you don't work in the restaurant industry because it can translate to any field or in your personal life as well.

Here is an example where a Leasing Professional can use it in their business:

Potential Client: Good afternoon! I am looking for a 2 bedroom apartment with around 1200 sq feet on the bottom floor.

Leasing professional: Right, so 2 bedroom on the bottom floor, and around 1200 sq feet.

Potential Client: Yes, I need 2 bedrooms because my elderly uncle is going to stay in one room. It must be the bottom floor to minimize having to walk up and down the stairway. I also need enough space for my dog as well.

By mirroring and repeating back to the client, it made them elaborate which will help start building a stronger connection and trust.

Try to think of ways you can implement this technique into your business. You can simply test it out by repeating 1-3 main words of your client's sentence. Make sure to be actively listening!

Lastly, I highly recommend reading 'Never Split the Difference'. The author, Chris Voss, was previously a FBI hostage negotiator and he shares many tricks and strategies that he used during that time.