Regardless of which culture we come from, everybody deserves and wants to be respected, included, and heard.
Here are a few points to make people feel heard when you speak or when you communicate.
1. Ask questions: By asking questions you are giving people the space to clarify their pain points/doubts. It also shows you are open-minded. Understand that no question is stupid if that makes sense to the questioner. Always try to give the best answer possible. And if you don’t know the answer, you don’t have to pretend as if you know. Just tell them you’ll come back with the best answer and deliver that.
2. Active listening: Look at people who are speaking to you, lean forward, and listen to what they say. This will allow you to understand them better. It also shows you respect their opinion though you may not necessarily agree with them. And that’s how you earn respect and loyalty in return.
3. Paraphrase: By paraphrasing what the other person says, they will feel heard and you can fill your pocket of communication with ammunition. You’ll be able to hook the person you are talking to. It also shows your genuine interest in the topic the other person is saying. It has a clarifying effect and you’ll be able to save yourself from embarrassment by understanding the wrong way. Wait for the person to finish talking before you paraphrase and a reminder though, you should not paraphrase too much esp. when you are exchanging text because then it will become weird.
4. Make it a dialogue not a monologue: It was ok to give instructions to people before but that is so 20 to 30 years ago. In today’s world of information feasting with a mouthful of opinions, make sure your communication is a dialogue, not a monologue where you open a door for the other person to express themselves. And when you give space to people to express themselves, you’ll be able to build a rapport with them.
5. Reply to people’s comments on your post as possible as you could: For people who have millions of subscribers, it may not be possible but try to engage with your audience by liking their comments and replying to them. Because speaking is not just about platform speaking. We are speaking to people even without talking either through our written words too or body language.
Remember, you don’t have to be superficial/manipulate or perform an act about the points I mentioned just to make others feel good because your audience deserves to connect with you and not your performance. Cultivate a deep sense of gratitude, and open-mindedness, and be judgment-free and inclusiveness if you want to build a rapport with your audience, friends, or family, or build relationships.