From Criminology to Business: Adapting Criminology Practices to Enhance Communication and Building A Strong Rapport in Business Settings

Building rapport is one of the most crucial aspects when working with multiple external parties. I remember making a significant mistake at the beginning of my career by forgetting one of our lecturers’ names. This simple yet critical error had disastrous consequences and ruined our working relationship, despite working together for an extended period across various projects. That initial failure to establish a connection created an uncomfortable environment at every subsequent meeting. It was awkward, and lots of dead air in every meeting! At that moment, I realized that creating a positive first impression and establishing a solid rapport is essential in this job.

In college, I studied criminology and learned about the significance of building rapport to gain the trust of informants, a vital aspect of successful research. I met and interviewed various people, including those from Lembaga Bantuan Hukum (LBH), policymakers, victims of sexual abuse and conflict in Timor Leste, juvenile delinquents, etc. Building rapport with them was essential to obtain clear and abundant information for our research. The skills I acquired during college have been invaluable and helped me relearn and implement them in my current job.

What Can A Great Rapport Do For You?

Building a strong rapport with others can benefit your personal and professional life. By establishing meaningful connections with people, you can:

• Expand your social circle and avoid feeling socially isolated.
• Strengthen your existing relationships with friends, clients, and loved ones.
• Improve communication and develop more effective business relationships with colleagues, managers, and clients
• Gain more knowledge and information.
• Enhance your ability to understand others, even when you disagree with them, and constructively manage challenging situations.

Building A Strong Rapport

Yeah, my fellow friends! I want to share some tips to help you avoid the same mistake I made a few years ago. These tips are based on my experiences during my college years, conducting qualitative research and interacting with friends and business partners through my job and side projects. I hope these tips will help build strong rapport:

— Conduct Research & Do A Background Check!

Conducting research and performing a background check can be extremely helpful in preparing for a meeting. This can include conducting simple research on the case study, topics that will be discussed, or checking their LinkedIn profile, social media accounts, or other platforms. During this process, try to focus on finding something personal to them, such as their job experience, interests, hobbies, and sometimes mutual friends. All the information you gather during the research can be used to ask better and more intelligent questions or break the ice with casual conversation.

— Prepare The Agenda & List of Questions

Before each meeting, prepare an agenda and a list of relevant questions. Having a clear agenda and a list of questions can be very beneficial for an introduction or a business discussion. Use the information you gathered during your research to write better questions.

— Introduce Yourself In A Clear and Concise Manner with The Right Tone of Voice!

When introducing yourself, do so clearly and concisely with the appropriate tone. Dress appropriately if necessary. The introduction is crucial, so introduce yourself, your name, your role, or why you are in the meeting. Please keep it simple and concise, and use a friendly tone to appear approachable. However, in certain situations, a more formal tone may be necessary, depending on your situation.

— Ask how they prefer to be addressed, and REMEMBER THEIR NAME!

When meeting someone new, asking how they prefer to be addressed is essential to avoid miscalling and make everyone feel comfortable. In Indonesia, for example, people may prefer to be called Sir, Miss, or Madam, by their name, or even Mas or Mbak. AND PLEASE REMEMBER THEIR NAME AND HOW THEY WANT TO BE ADDRESSED! Please don’t make the same mistake I did by forgetting their name.

— Begin with casual conversation.

Starting with small talk can help ease the tension and set the right tone for the meeting. However, when dealing with C-suite personnel, be aware that their time is often limited, and they may prefer a more direct approach. Be observant and sensitive to their cues, as everyone has different preferences when engaging in casual conversation.

— Observe & Active Listening.

Pay close attention to your partner’s body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. Actively listen to what they say, and ask questions to clarify any unclear information. Take notes on the key points to help you stay focused and engaged throughout the meeting.

— It’s okay not to know everything.

It’s important to accept that you may not know everything and that it’s okay to admit when you don’t. Rather than pretending to be an expert, be curious and ask intelligent questions to help you better understand the topic. Acknowledge your limited experience and knowledge, and approach the discussion with a willingness to learn.

Acknowledging my limited knowledge or experience is helpful by saying, “I apologize if this question may seem silly or naive, as I am new to this industry. I hope you can bear with me.”

However, it is essential to note that preparation and research should be done beforehand to ensure a productive conversation and prevent you from super basic questions that you can google by yourself.

— Speak when necessary, and ask smart questions.

Remember that it’s essential to strike a balance between speaking and listening. Avoid dominating the conversation; instead, ask insightful questions that help move the discussion forward. Respond with empathy, curiosity, and authenticity.

— Stay on track and respect their time.

Be mindful of the time and ensure all the agenda items are covered before the meeting ends. If necessary, prioritize the most critical topics and leave less important ones for a follow-up discussion. If the meeting is over time, you must ask for their approval for an extended time or offer alternative ways to discuss the remaining topics.

— Express gratitude and say “Thank you.”

At the end of the meeting or discussion, it’s important to show gratitude and thank them for their time. Following up with a personal chat or message can also be beneficial to express your appreciation for their effort, time, and willingness to share their knowledge and engage in discussion.

— Stay in touch and maintain your network.

Following up after the meeting is crucial to maintaining a good relationship with your partner. This can be done through small gestures such as a “thank you” text after the meeting, following their social media, sending birthday wishes, and reacting to or liking their posts. However, be mindful not to overdo it!

We don’t need to say much, yet we’re able to build deep connections and rapport with those around us.

― Joel Annesley, Quiet Confidence

Those are the steps I follow to establish a strong rapport. However, there may be situations where I cannot fully implement all of them. Nonetheless, building a solid rapport includes empathy, observation, shedding your ego, authenticity, and curiosity.