A minilesson The Art of Conversation How do

A mini-lesson The Art of Conversation

» How do you feel about “mingling”? Why? » What is small talk? Where and why do we do it? » What are the benefits of being successful at it? Mingling

» » » Confidence Connection to other human beings Fostering relationships for work, friendship Exchange of ideas, information Builds mental capability, reasoning The Benefits

» Be Yourself/Fake it til You Make It » Listen attentively & carefully » Body Language ˃ Your body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone all color the message you are trying to convey » Be Respectful ˃ Agree/disagree ˃ Be open-minded » Friendliness » Clarity The Basics

» Get them talking about what interests them » Make people feel good ˃ Studies show no matter what people say they prefer likable people over competent people. So don’t worry so much about being impressive. » Emphasize similarity. ˃ In almost every conceivable way, from background to word choice, emphasizing similarity improves social relations. Other Tips

» Equal time ˃ Periods of listening and self-expression ˃ No monologues! The Big Rule

» Avoid: ˃ ˃ ˃ Gossip Politics Religion What do you do? I know how you feel. Too much too soon Watch out!

ANSWERS STORIES! “How are you? ” “How was your day? ” “Where are you from? ” “What do you do? ” “What line of work are you in? ” “What’s your name? ” “How was your weekend? ” “What’s up? ” “Would you like some wine? ” “How long have you been living here? ” “What’s your story? ” “What did you do today? ” “What’s the strangest thing about where you grew up? ” “What’s the most interesting that happened at work today? ” “How’d you end up in your line of work? ” “What does your name mean? What would you like it to mean? ” “What was the best part of your weekend? ” “What are you looking forward to this week? ” “Who do you think is the luckiest person in this room? ” “What does this house remind you of? ” “If you could teleport by blinking your eyes, where would you go right now? ” Stories, not answers.

» Mirrored example: James: It’s a beautiful day! John: Yes, it is a beautiful day! » Non-mirrored example: James: It’s a beautiful day! John: They say that the weather was just like this when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. If that actually happened. Break the mirror

» Instead of : Ron: How was your flight? Carlos: My flight was good! » Beverly: It’s hot today. Gino: Yeah, it sure is hot. » Riz: What’s up? Keil: Hey, what’s up? » Try: Ron: How was your flight? Carlos: I’d be more intrigued by an airline where your ticket price was based on your body weight and IQ. » Beverly: It’s hot today. Gino: In this dimension, yes. » Riz: What’s up? Keil: Washing your chicken just splatters the bacteria everywhere. Leapfrog over the expected response.

» “What’s your story? ” “What did you do today? ” “What’s the strangest thing about where you grew up? ” “What’s the most interesting that happened at school today? ” “What does your name mean? What would you like it to mean? ” “What was the best part of your weekend? ” “What are you looking forward to this week? ” “Who do you think is the luckiest person in this room? ” “If you could teleport by blinking your eyes, where would you go right now? ” Try it.