One easy thing to do is to find out what is going on for the other person. What is going on in that busy mind of theirs? What are the priorities? How can you connect right now? What do they need? What would make their day? How can you be there for them?

Pacing involves looking for ways to connect with them. Nonverbal communication is 70% to 80% of all communication. Are you making eye contact? What is your body and mind doing to connect with theirs? What is your body language saying? What is your self-talk saying? What are your voice tones suggesting? Are you matching this person's/group's style in body and soul?

Another thing to think about is calibration. Continuously checking in with what you are doing and saying, and who you are being, and asking yourself, "how's it going?", "what is working and what needs to change?" It really is a lot of work to really connect with someone. It is always worth the effort, even if it's just for the sake of practicing your skill.

Sometimes you'll feel rapport slipping away, regardless of what you are doing. At times like this, STOP whatever you are doing and try something else. Ask checking questions to determine where you are with this person or group, so you can get the information you need to recalibrate.

Establishing and maintaining rapport is a process that is learned through continual practice. Start where you are. Take inventory. What are you doing that works? What are your challenges? Who will coach you? What will you work on next? When will you practice? How will you know you're improving? How will you reward yourself for your accomplishments?

You are hereby challenged to make a commitment to work on building rapport with everyone, every day. This means you get to practice every minute. If you really want to get powerful with this, make a commitment right now to be conscious of how well you are establishing and maintaining rapport every minute, in every situation. Sure, you'll fall short of perfection. That's life. You can restart your commitment anytime, with anyone, for any reason. When something isn't working the way you want it to, when a situation isn't working out just right, ask yourself what you can do to build rapport, and get to it.

If you take up this challenge wholeheartedly, be prepared to be amazed as even your wildest dreams become reality.