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Working
A Room as the Savvy Networker
In order to take advantage of the countless
opportunities you have to make social contacts every day, you
must sharpen the art of conversation and the skill of small
talk. Successful networkers are experts at this art and yet more
and more people believe and prove that the skill of
conversational small talk is endangered and disappearing.
THE BEST WAYS TO
START AND MAINTAIN CONVERSATIONS:
-
Be focused on
the other person-their interests, needs, work, etc.
-
Be prepared
to ask questions
-
Be prepared
to listen – listen – listen effectively
-
Be ready to
come across as interested in them and interesting to them
THE BEST TOPICS
ABOUT WHICH YOU CAN TALK
-
The Situation
(setting, reason for gathering, the occasion, etc.)
-
The Other
Person (projects, business visions, goals, needs, etc.)
-
You (keep
this topic at a bare minimum when first meeting people and
only after asked questions about you)
THE BEST TOOLS YOU
HAVE TO START CONVERSATIONS:
THE BEST WAYS TO
KILL CONVERSATIONS:
-
Show no
interest in the other person
-
Interrupt and
monopolize the conversation
-
Ask
close-ended questions (requiring yes/no answers, one word
answers)
-
Ask (too)
broad open-ended questions (tell me about your life; what do
you think about the national debt, etc.)
-
Disagree and
come across as a know-it-all
-
Use poor eye
contact (the ‘looking around glance; the looking down stare)
-
Show poor
listening behaviors
-
Come across
as wanting to sell your products and services to the other
person
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