I had shared information about my background, the books I had written and my company’s proprietary training tools. The conversation was slowing down and we were obviously running out of things to talk about. My prospect was being polite, but I could tell she was as uncomfortable as I was.

If we didn’t do something soon, this lunch was going to plunge down into the pits.

The conversation was slowing down and we were obviously running out of things to talk about.

Then I took a risk.

I got personal and shared an experience with the prospect. I told her that I had traveled to Italy a few years ago to do family research in my grandfather’s village. The research material would hopefully become another book someday.  And I told her about my ancestor’s emigration to the United States about 100 years ago and about how I interviewed my father during the last ten years of his life.

My prospect’s eyes lit up with excitement as I conveyed my family’s adventures and the new information that I had gathered. Then, my prospect shared a story about one of her employees who had recently been to Ireland to look up her family roots. My prospect insisted that I meet this employee.

Needless to say, the conversation was ignited with vigor, vitality and colorful stories as my prospect and I really got to know each other.

The things that we are interested in and feel passionate about will enable a person to exude genuine excitement…

The prospect is now a client. This client has since referred me to other prospects who I hope to make clients. The referrals keep coming from this one client because she really likes me as a person.

In some business situations, more than acumen and subject expertise is required. Clients don’t care how much we know until he or she knows how much we care.

Our interests and passions exude genuine excitement and this attracts others. C.S. Lewis said that friendship is born when one person says to another, “What you too? I thought that I was the only one.”

It’s as simple as that. Courage and friendship matters.

Building greater rapport with our clients and associates is possible if we are willing and courageous enough to let our guard down.