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Tempo and Rhythm

nonprofit fundraising

In music, tempo is how fast or slow a piece of music is performed while rhythm is the placement of sounds in time, in a regular and repeated pattern. Both give a piece of music its own unique energy that creates a corresponding feeling in the listener which in turn connects the listener to the music.

We all have our own tempo-rhythm too. In people tempo is the speed and timing of physical actions and speech. Rhythm is the inner intensity of a person's actions. Think of rhythm as the driving passion or energy behind a person's actions. So, we have speed and intensity. And just like in music, we can hear, feel, and connect to a person's tempo-rhythm.

You can connect more meaningfully with your prospects when you understand tempo-rhythm. If you can identify it, you can work with it, flow with it. You don't necessarily have to match it, you have to hear it, feel it, step into it, add your own tempo-rhythm to the mix to create harmony with your prospect.

Identifying, feeling, and connecting with another's tempo-rhythm takes your interactions to the next level. But before you can synch with someone else's tempo-rhythm you have to first be aware of and in synch with your own.

As you become more familiar or comfortable with your own tempo-rhythm, identifying another's will be easier, second nature.

At the top of an exchange pay attention to the below to start connecting up your tempo-rhythm with your prospect's.

  1. Eye Contact
  2. Movements
  3. Word Choice
  4. Gestures
  5. Speech Patterns
  6. Speech Pace

So, the next time you visit with a prospect hear, see, and feel their tempo-rhythm. It will change the way you connect.

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