Rapport for Quality Information and Referral Connections

Open any training on quality information and referral provision; sooner or later, the word rapport will appear. Trainers talk about building rapport. They may even offer some great examples or provide sample recordings of a time when a resource specialist did it well. Yet, other times, the concept is similar to that slippery bar of soap in the bathtub. When you think you have it, it’s gone again…and you’re left with the remnant, wondering if you understand. So, let’s spell it out to see if we can make it easier to grasp.

R - Relationship

At its core, rapport means having a relationship with someone. It doesn’t mean we are “best friends.” Quite the contrary, we should not do this work for friendship. We perform this work for a sense of purpose and to give back to our communities, to ease the burdens of those working hard to improve their lives. The relationship we build is mutual trust and respect, regardless of the circumstances in which the person finds themselves when they reach out to us. Relationships are connections; information and referral relationships can change lives, lift people out of their circumstances, and help them move to the next stage in their personal or professional development.

A - Active Listening

Many of us claim to practice active listening, yet it can be challenging to do on each and every contact. It can be easy to slip into passive listening mode, where we think we hear the nature of the request without genuinely listening. One food assistance request begins to sound like the next. But wait…was that a baby crying in the room? Or do you hear the sound of traffic outside? Both of those could indicate something important. The baby crying could prompt a reason to ask for the number of persons in the household and whether or not the person needs formula for the baby. Traffic could signal that the person is unhoused. A referral to a traditional food pantry may not work well for the unhoused person, but a soup kitchen referral could mean the person can eat a hot meal today or tomorrow. If we are actively listening, we can hear not only what the person says but how they say it and the sounds that stem from their environment. When we actively listen to the person, they can hear a change in the tone of our voice. They know we are listening and that we care about how to get them assistance.

P - Professionalism

One of the greatest hallmarks of a community resource specialist is a commitment to professionalism. Working professionally with those in need will go a long way in building rapport. The ethical principles of community resource specialists describe professionalism as a foundational concept underpinning our work. It encompasses many concepts in this article: active listening, reflection on someone’s emotional state, and reserving judgment on someone’s situation. Without professionalism, rapport is simply not possible.

P - Positivity 

Many persons who reach out to information and referral programs have serious issues. They may have heard “No” several times from other places they have reached out to for assistance. Positive energy from the resource specialist provides a spark of hope that will help them to establish a new mindset to make additional calls to seek assistance. 

O - Open-Minded 

People who sought assistance through me often expected me to judge their situation. I would hear things like, “I bet you think I made a bad decision,” or “You probably think I should have saved more money.” They expected me to pass judgment. By remaining open-minded and not making judgemental statements, I could establish a strong relationship with them. By the end of the call, I often heard, “Thank you for not judging me.”

R - Reflection 

Perhaps one of the most powerful abilities a resource specialist has is the ability to reflect the feelings of the help seeker. We have all heard those emotions: dejection, sadness, frustration, anger. Those emotions may limit the person’s ability to hear about programs in the community that can help or those “hidden tidbits” about how to access help from some programs. When resource specialists reflect on those emotions, the person feels heard. “It sounds like you are upset that the agency did not have more appointments available. Let me see if there are other referrals where this may not be an issue.” 

T - Trust 

This word circles back to relationship. Any relationship requires trust. We trust they provide enough information to provide solid direction and quality referrals. They likewise trust us. They trust the information we provide them is accurate and up-to-date. They trust that verifiable sources have vetted the information in our resource databases.  For persons who come to information and referral programs for assistance, it means forming enough of a bond that they trust you to help, and you trust they will provide you with enough information to provide accurate referrals.

Rapport is an essential concept that all community resource specialists must understand to perform the job well every time someone reaches out to us for assistance. It is easy to describe within the context of a phone call, yet it can be done through any medium: text, chat, or social media responses. It takes practice, training, and coaching to do it well, regardless of the person's method to reach you. Taking time to learn the concept and how to build rapport with someone makes the difference between an “okay” contact and a great one.