Networking - The Power of Free Information
October 24th, 2007 by Liz Fuller
The other day I wrote about ways introverted entrepreneurs could be more approachable (without going to the extreme of wearing a nametag 24×7). The response I received was, “I’m not sure I want to be more approachable because after they approach me, I don’t know what to say!”
This is where we transition from the challenge of being introverted to the challenge of being shy. Almost half of all people feel shy at times, especially with new people, so it’s only natural that many of us feel that way when networkng.
The good news is that there are some techniques to getting a conversation going. Contrary to what many people seem to think,
Those techniques aren’t:
- wait for the other person to talk or
- fill the silence with your own chatter
The techniques are:
1) leverage free information
2) ask follow-up questions
So, you ask, what is free information?
Free information comes from two sources:
- what you observe
- what they say
Scott Ginsberg gives free infomation by wearing a nametag. People know his name is Scott so they feel free to say, “Hi Scott”. They also can see he is wearing a nametag at a grocery store or while riding his bike or walking his dog. This gives them an opportunity to comment or make a joke about this unusual sight.
In the same way, I was recommending that you provide free information to others based on what you wore or what you carried in your hands - a book, a baby or a dog leash.
Similarly, you can also comment on what other people are wearing or carrying or doing.
Another way to pick up free information is by listening closely to what they say. Perhaps you say “Good morning.” and they say, “Maybe it’s good for you, but my train was 20 minutes late today!”
You can either say , “Oh, that’s too bad” and listen to the silence or you can pick up on free information and ask some follow up questions.
“That’s too bad - How has the rest of your morning been?”
“How frustrating - What did you do during the delay?”
“What a shame- How often does that happen?”
The key is not to ask all the questions, rapid-fire, in an interrogating way. Just pick one of the questions and see where it leads, picking up and acting upon additional free information as you go along.
Before you know it, you’ve gotten over that initial awkward moment and you’re on your way to a real connection!
For additional information on networking read:
What techniques do you use for initiating and maintaining conversations? Are you in the 40-50% of people who feel shy with strangers? How do you handle it?
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Category: approachability, networking | 4 Comments »
