Matching

A rapport-building technique in which a person deliberately imitates specific elements of another's external behavior — posture, gesture, breathing rate, voice tone, or tempo — to create a sense of similarity and connection. In matching, the imitation is direct: if the other person raises their right hand, you raise your right hand. Matching operates at an unconscious level and, when done skillfully and subtly, creates a powerful sense of being understood and in sync with the other person.