Communicating with clients
Communicating well with an auditee requires more than just luck. It
requires technique and commitment.
What is rapport?
If you have rapport with another person, this means you understand each
other very well. People often talk about meeting someone and having instant
rapport with him or her, but in fact rapport is important throughout a
relationship. Both parties need to work at maintaining rapport in both
personal and business relationships.
Body language
Body language means those gestures, postures and facial expressions that
people use to communicate non-verbally with each other. Body language is
critical to building rapport. You can use it to gauge your client’s mood, or to
project a certain mood yourself. You can observe clients’ initial body
language and then moderate how you approach them.
Observing posture
There are two basic types of posture:

closed

open.
A closed body posture is probably the most obvious. People with arms
folded, legs crossed and bodies turned away are signalling that they are
either not interested in receiving messages or they are rejecting the ones that
they are hearing.
People displaying open gestures are also easy to pick. They might initiate a
handshake, fully face you, offer a warm smile, lean forward or nod
enthusiastically as you speak. This type of person is generally more at ease
from the beginning, so you don’t have to work as hard.
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Reading—Communicating with clients
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Sometimes body language isn’t so obvious or easy to interpret. If clients
lean back, look up at the ceiling, doodle on a pad or clean their glasses while
you speak, does this mean that they are disinterested in what you are saying
or rejecting your message? Or is this simply their preferred style: listening
passively, but still absorbing what you have to say? If you are not sure,
measure their mood by asking questions, using empathy and generally
getting them to open up and tell you what they want. Above all, listen.
Careful observation and experience in dealing with a range of clients will
prove the best teacher.
Using posture
You can use body language to project a confident, friendly image to clients.
However, it does take practice to control your body language. Here are some
ideas to help you:

Don’t adopt closed postures yourself. These form a barrier between
yourself and the client, and this may stifle the conversation.

Turn your body towards the speaker. This is an open and positive body
language posture, showing you have nothing to hide.

Lean forward to show interest, but take care not to lean so close as to
invade the other person’s personal space.

Appear relaxed and receptive. The more relaxed you are, the more
relaxed the enquirer will become.
Eye contact
Eye contact is one of the most important elements of non-verbal
communication. It shows you are giving your client your attention, which in
turn creates rapport. You can see if they are listening to you if they maintain
eye contact. If you do not make eye contact, your client may feel that you
are hiding something, but staring at your client is just as bad. Proper eye
contact creates the trust that is important in any business. It is also about
confidence; any enquirer wants to deal with a confident agent rather than
one who is ill at ease or disinterested.
Gestures
Gestures are also critical to making the right impression. Standing with your
hands on your hips or summoning people with a wave will not create a
positive impression. Crossing your arms in front of your body will seem
defensive. Try to keep your hands loosely folded or at your sides when
dealing with a client.
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Reading—Communicating with clients
Verbal communication
Verbal communication takes place both in a face-to-face situation and on
the telephone. The main difference is that when you use the telephone with a
client neither of you can interpret the other’s body language.
Using empathy
The key to developing a good rapport with a client is the ability to listen and
empathise with them. This means being able to:

have an understanding of the other side’s position

‘put yourself in their shoes’—try to see things from their perspective

recognise their needs and wants

use active listening techniques as they speak.
For your part, your responses should be positive and enthusiastic, showing
that you have concentrated on what was said and focused on the content of
the discussion.
Being aware of your language
When talking to clients, it is important to use language that is appropriate.
Inappropriate language makes rapport unlikely.
Avoid colloquial language: you should use good clear English when you
speak. You can be friendly but you must also be businesslike. Being overly
friendly with new contacts is unprofessional and reflects badly on your
organisation.
Avoid highly technical language or jargon. Using technical jargon may be
appropriate in some business settings, but could confuse clients. So keep
your language simple. The use of acronyms (abbreviations) may also be a
problem if your client is not familiar with the abbreviated form. Many
government departments, for instance, are known by their acronyms but you
should always use the full title.
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