استراتژی‌های Rapport Management

Speakers can draw on a large arsenal of verbal and non-verbal strategies. They need to consider the contextual factors influencing the interaction, in particular face sensitivities, behavioural conventions and interactional goals.

Questions that may be asked here are, for example, what is the power relationship between me and other speakers, such as does my interlocutor have power over me or vice versa? What are the social and interactional roles of the speaker(s)? How psychologically or socially close is the other speaker? How many speakers are there? Am I speaking to an individual or a group? What can I gain from the interaction, what are the possible costs of it, in particular if it goes wrong)? What is the ‘activity type’ I am involved in (e.g. a lecture, a court trial) and what behavioural conventions are associated with that?

These considerations are followed by behavioural choice, e.g. whether, and how to say something. For example, if we request something from someone, how do we word that request? There is big difference between “Open that window?” and “It is a bit hot in here, isn’t it?” as a request strategy. We may also choose not to say anything at all, e.g. deciding not to ask for a pay raise, not to disagree, etc.

Other strategy considerations include, for example:

• the content of talk;
• the structure and sequencing of talk;
• how turns at talk are taken: who is allowed to speak and when?, acceptability of interruptions, etc.;
• general considerations of style: tone, forms of address, etc; 
• eye contact, gestures, body language;
• and how conversational routines (such as “How are you?” – “I am fine, how are you?”) are enacted.

What factors do you take into account when picking verbal and nonverbal strategies for managing interpersonal rapport (e.g. age of the other person, status)?