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How To Talk To Just About Anyone
You have been invited to a party or a work function and you don’t
know many people. And with Christmas parties just around the corner,
you will want to know how to enjoy your time, get to know people and
possibly even network with people?
If you are at a party and don’t know anyone, you can go to the area
where the food is. Mention how ___ (whatever food there is available)
on the table looks tasty. Or how the traffic was coming over, or
something that always works for me is compliment them for something
they are wearing. I tend to notice unusual jewelry and usually comment
on it. Sometimes it is a conversation starter, sometimes not.
If you are having problems remembering names, you can either make a
joke about it (my brain just froze temporarily, sorry what’s your name
again?) or you can ask the hostess.
What if you said the wrong thing? If you comment about the ugly
dress that a particular lady is wearing or about the awful toupee that
a particular guy is wearing and you find that you are talking to their
spouse…ooops, what you need to do is poke fun at yourself by saying
something like ‘open mouth, insert foot’ or something similar,
apologize and then move on.
Good parties require conversation. If you are at a loss for
something to say to fellow party goers, rather than talk about the
weather, ask them what they do for a living. If you ask people
questions about themselves, most are more than willing to share. Ask
how the person knows the host or hostess. Grab headlines from the
paper, tell people unusual things that you have heard. “Did you hear
about the family that mailed their loved one’s remains through the
mail? Guess what? Canada Post lost them!” (Yes, this really happened,
it was on the news several months ago) Truth is usually stranger than
fiction, so read the daily headlines or listen to the radio, most radio
stations offer odd happenings to their listeners.
No matter what you do, try to have a good time. If it is a work
function, stay for as long as you have to, then claim another
obligation or an illness then leave (if you are not enjoying yourself,
that is). If it is a party, the same rule applies, thank the
host/hostess profusely, claim another obligation or illness then
leave. But try your best, and enjoy. Who knows, you might met a great
friend or maybe even a love interest at a party, so what have you got
to lose?
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