I just caught a reel* from Chase Hughes of NCI Univerity where he shares the six core emotional needs of every person and how they show up in conversation. What an A-ha! It’s powerful. It immediately made me think of something my colleague and mentor Dave Brown calls “Accel-orate.” (He took the words accelerate and orate and combined them.)
Accel-orate = Speaking into someone in a way that accelerates trust and credibility.
And when you combine that with these six emotional needs—
Significance. Acceptance. Approval. Intelligence. Power. Pity.
—you have a masterclass in building authentic rapport.
Not manipulation.
Not flattery.
Not sales gimmicks.
But genuine, perceptive, intentional connection.
If you listen closely during rapport, your prospect will tell you which need is highest on their list.
Your job? Hear it… and Accel-orate it.
1. Significance
Need: To matter. To be important. To be seen as impactful.
Clue they give you:
“I built this division from scratch.”
“No one else in the company wanted to take this on.”
“This team wouldn’t be where it is without the systems I put in place.”
They are signaling: I matter.
What a prospect might say:
“I’ve basically been the one holding this department together for the last three years.”
How you Accel-orate:
“I can tell you take tremendous ownership in what you build. Not everyone is willing to step up and carry that kind of responsibility.”
You didn’t exaggerate.
You didn’t flatter.
You recognized their impact.
That accelerates trust.
2. Acceptance
Need: To belong. To be understood. To feel safe.
Clue they give you:
“I’m not your typical executive.”
“I’ve never really fit the corporate mold.”
“I tend to do things differently.”
They are signaling: Will you accept me as I am?
What a prospect might say:
“I don’t really approach leadership the way most people do.”
How you Accel-orate:
“Honestly, I respect that. The best leaders I know don’t fit a mold—they build their own approach.”
You’re not trying to fix them.
You’re affirming that they belong in the room.
3. Approval
Need: To be validated. To be told they’re doing well.
Clue they give you:
“I worked 70-hour weeks to get this launched.”
“We’ve grown 30% year over year.”
“I’ve never missed quota.”
They are signaling: Tell me that’s good.
What a prospect might say:
“It’s been a grind, but we’ve hit our numbers every quarter.”
How you Accel-orate:
“That kind of consistency doesn’t happen by accident. That speaks to your discipline and leadership.”
Specific.
Earned.
Credible.
Approval accelerates connection—when it’s rooted in truth.
4. Intelligence
Need: To be seen as competent and sharp.
Clue they give you:
They mention degrees.
Certifications.
Data.
They correct minor details in conversation.
They are signaling: I value being smart.
What a prospect might say:
“I’ve done a lot of research on this. Most people oversimplify it.”
How you Accel-orate:
“I can see how seriously you take understanding the nuances. You don’t strike me as someone who makes surface-level decisions.”
Now you’re aligning with their identity: thoughtful. analytical. informed.
5. Power
Need: To feel in control. To influence outcomes.
Clue they give you:
“At the end of the day, I make the call.”
“I’m very selective about who we work with.”
“I need to know I have flexibility.”
They are signaling: Autonomy matters to me.
What a prospect might say:
“I don’t like being boxed into long-term commitments.”
How you Accel-orate:
“I appreciate that. Leaders who’ve built what you’ve built usually value keeping control of their decisions.”
You didn’t challenge their control.
You respected it.
Power acknowledged becomes partnership.
6. Pity (or Compassion/Endurance)
This one is delicate.
The need isn’t “feel sorry for me.”
It’s see what I’ve endured.
Clue they give you:
They list hardships.
Personal losses.
Business failures.
Betrayals.
They are signaling: Do you see what I’ve carried?
What a prospect might say:
“In the last two years we lost a major client, my partner left, and I had some health stuff going on.”
How you Accel-orate (without patronizing):
“I don’t know how you’ve managed to keep leading through all of that. That takes resilience most people never develop.”
You’re not pitying them.
You’re recognizing strength forged in hardship.
That creates depth of trust.
The Key: It Must Be Genuine
If this becomes a script… it dies.
If this becomes manipulation… it backfires.
Accel-orate only works when:
- You’re sincerely listening
- You’re paying attention to clues
- You’re speaking truth, not flattery
- You mean what you say
Because here’s the reality:
People don’t buy from people they like.
They buy from people who understand them.
And understanding isn’t demonstrated by pitching features.
It’s demonstrated by reflecting identity.
When you speak into someone’s deepest emotional need—
with sincerity—you compress the trust timeline.
You Accel-orate it.
And in sales, leadership, and influence, trust is the true accelerator.
Stay Relentless.
*The original video from Chase Hughes of NCI University: https://www.facebook.com/reel/856195470378938
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