They are important implications for gaining rapport
Page 32. They are important implications for gaining rapport. The secret of good communication is not so much what you say, but how you say it.
— from Communication & Conflict (Communication/Conflict) · NLP by O'Connor and Seymour
In the book
So accustom yourself to speak gently to everyone, at all times — the words of the wise are spoken softly — and greet every person, friend or stranger, with a warm and open face, because a kind expression is an invitation to friendship while a scowl frightens people away. Then attend to how, not just what. The real secret of good communication is far less about the content of your words than about the way you deliver them. Build rapport — the art of entering another person's world so they feel understood and bonded to you — through steady eye contact, leaning in, a little humor, a sincere compliment, and real interest in what they care about. […] Listen first, and generously. Listen with real curiosity and the willingness to be surprised; be silent enough to actually hear; and remember your attention sets the quality of their thinking. Weigh your words before you spend them. Ask what benefit they will bring; speak gently and greet people warmly; mind how you say it, not only what; and beat the curse of knowledge by meeting your listener where they are. Make honesty easy. Build candid, informal dialogue; say the thing plainly rather than assuming you were understood; ask for "one thing to start, one thing to stop"; and speak up even in the unanimous room. — Communication & Conflict (Communication/Conflict)