My daughter once said she could tell the degree of my vanity because I never walked by a mirror without looking into it, but then my philosophy was simply mirrors were made for looking, so what. But recently I found a much more pragmatic approach, using the understanding of mirrors to “mirror” or match others’ mannerisms. Here’s the thing, research indicates that just by matching others’ mannerisms (body language, speech, etc.) we build rapport and a closer connection. Why? Because they are feeling that we are on the same “wave length,” that we have something in common. It’s a proven fact that we build trust quicker and are more apt to work smarter with those we mirror.
And here’s a mind-blowing statistic. Psychologist Richard Wiseman created an amazing study on mirroring. He took two groups of waiters. One group he asked to really compliment their customers big time, going above and beyond what would be considered normal. The other group he simply asked to repeat back the customer’s order, in their own style. The results: the average tip of the waiters who mirrored was 70% more.
Who can you mirror today?
