Coaching Tips For Creating Great Rapport

One of the most fundamental coaching tips that I will share with you here will help you build effective, and lasting, coaching relationships; that is, establishing great rapport.

Why Establishing Good Rapport Is CRUCIAL To Your Coaching Relationships

Why is establishing good rapport crucial to your coaching relationships? When you have positive rapport with your coaching clients or prospects, they will:

be more trusting.
open up easier in conversation.
be more receptive to your advice and questions (without becoming defensive or argumentative with you).
be more likely to buy your program (because they will FEEL like you understand them).

Failing to create good rapport may result in a lack of trust, leading to a lack of results for the client (and no referrals for you).

What Does the Process For Rapport-Building Look Like?

You can refer back to the following coaching tips in regards to establishing good rapport any time you feel a lack of an emotional connection between you and your prospects or clients. They’re also great to use during a discovery call (free/introductory coaching sessions) with a prospect, or on a routine session with your current clients:

Actively listen to what your client is saying.
Ask good questions and listen to their answers.
Don’t interrupt them when they speak.
Address them by their name a few times during the call.
Do NOT engage in arguments (this gives them a reason to resist your support).
SUMMARIZE and repeat what they said back to them in slightly different words. This one works like a CHARM (for creating great rapport) because they’ll feel like you truly heard them.

Sounds like common sense, right? Agreed, most of the above tips may sound quite simple, but DO NOT underestimate their power.

At times, coaches may become complacent with their skills (and forget to consciously implement these consistently), which may lead to a disconnection between them and their clients. A lack of emotional connection and rapport may cause clients to be less engaged in sessions and take less action towards their goals.

The Most POWERFUL Template Of All Coaching Tips For Creating Rapport

The following coaching technique is the quickest and most effective way to achieve immediate rapport, either between you and a prospect, a client, or anyone you meet…

This technique is called the “Three Step Compliment”.

When And How To Use The Three Step Compliment

The Three Step Compliment can be used either sometime in the first 5-10 minutes of a session (especially during discovery calls), or periodically during routine calls. Remember: only use it after you have enough information about the person to form a compliment that is authentic and actually applies to them. In other words, it MUST be related to something the person has shared with you.

The 3 Steps:

Acknowledgement, “I really respect (or acknowledge) you for _____,”
Your reason for the acknowledgement, ”… and I say that because _____,” (This tells them you’re not just throwing an empty compliment at them.)
Ask a question showing curiosity regarding the client’s personality, ”Would you share with me what it is about you that has you do _____?”

For example, “John, I really respect you for speaking up to your father in regards to his disrespectful attitude towards your children. I say that because most people are too afraid to voice their opinion and draw a boundary with their parents when it comes to disciplining their grandkids. I’m curious, what is it about you that had you act so bravely?”

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Tiffany Olson
Career Coach
Writer, Coaches Training Blog community