Making Conversation
Making Conversation
Whether you are starting your own business/law practice or job-hunting there are people that it will be important for you to get to know more than just superficially. In fact it will be important to start to establish a long-term relationship with the person. One easy way to do this is to invite them to breakfast or lunch. It does require that you find ways to converse with the person. For some this is really scary.
One way to deal with that fear is to identify it and then prepare to overcome it. My colleague had admitted to her fear- long periods of silence. How could she overcome it?
There are some people who can always find subjects to talk about. If you are one of those people then you are lucky. Conversation with you is easy and flows. Some customers are good talkers too. They make the task easy. If you have a customer like that again you are lucky and they are probably the ones you want to start with.
But I am talking about the harder times. Perhaps you are not someone who comes up with conversation topics easily. You might even be a bit shy or nervous when it comes to being with people you don’t know well. I know when I am in this kind of tense situations my mind goes blank! So what do you do? For me the answer was to prepare ahead of time.
At that same seminar on Rainmaking one of the panelists said she had mastered the “art” of cold calling by scripting her calls. It was her attitude though that impressed me. She said if she could learn the complexities of the law she could certainly figure out how to convince a prospect to listen to her on the phone.
So enlist your own ‘can do’ attitude. Maybe a friend or colleague who knows the person you will be dining with can help you find out that person’s interests. If not be prepared with some general topics that interest you. The newspaper is a great source of good ideas for discussion. Just stay away from the controversial unless you can handle a heated discussion.
Woman often complain about discussing sports in business but it is clear that talking about sports can be connecting and interesting when both parties enjoy the topic. I’ve known women who studied the sports pages before dining with an important customer because they knew the customer was an avid baseball or football fan.
Another way to fill the "empty spaces" is to have a depth of understanding on a topic. “I’m a history buff,” my client told me. “ so whenever I have a chance, I tell the person I’m dining with some little known tidbits that are funny or interesting. It always inspires the other person to think of a story he/she has heard and then we are off and running.”
Identify Where You Have A Depth Of Understanding is the second step in the six steps to applying what you already know to your business or career development. Most people develop a depth of understanding in the areas they are or were interested in as well as areas where they have natural gifts and strengths. They can use that knowledge in a variety of ways in their business or career. If you have thought it through carefully you can use your hidden assets as you try to build rapport and credibility with a new customer or employer.
Take Action
1. Prepare for a lunch discussion with a customer, client, potential employer or someone who is important to your career. Think of 3 topics that you could initiate discussion on.
2. Identify the areas where you have a depth of understanding. How have they helped you in your career? How could you use them in establishing your relationship with a customer, client or manager.
3. Identify some areas where you would like to deepen your understanding. Make an action plan to do that with steps and times to get it done
Making Conversation - To learn more about this author, visit Alvah Parker's Website.
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Years ago when I was just starting my career in sales at AT&T, another new account executive in my group found it absolutely amazing that I had gone to lunch with a customer. She said to me, “What did you talk about? Wasn’t there a lot of dead air space?” A similar question about finding topics to talk about with clients came up recently at a program that I attended on Rainmaking for Women Lawyers presented by the Women’s Bar Association.
Whether you are starting your own business/law practice or job-hunting there are people that it will be important for you to get to know more than just superficially. In fact it will be important to start to establish a long-term relationship with the person. One easy way to do this is to invite them to breakfast or lunch. It does require that you find ways to converse with the person. For some this is really scary.
One way to deal with that fear is to identify it and then prepare to overcome it. My colleague had admitted to her fear- long periods of silence. How could she overcome it?
There are some people who can always find subjects to talk about. If you are one of those people then you are lucky. Conversation with you is easy and flows. Some customers are good talkers too. They make the task easy. If you have a customer like that again you are lucky and they are probably the ones you want to start with.
But I am talking about the harder times. Perhaps you are not someone who comes up with conversation topics easily. You might even be a bit shy or nervous when it comes to being with people you don’t know well. I know when I am in this kind of tense situations my mind goes blank! So what do you do? For me the answer was to prepare ahead of time.
At that same seminar on Rainmaking one of the panelists said she had mastered the “art” of cold calling by scripting her calls. It was her attitude though that impressed me. She said if she could learn the complexities of the law she could certainly figure out how to convince a prospect to listen to her on the phone.
So enlist your own ‘can do’ attitude. Maybe a friend or colleague who knows the person you will be dining with can help you find out that person’s interests. If not be prepared with some general topics that interest you. The newspaper is a great source of good ideas for discussion. Just stay away from the controversial unless you can handle a heated discussion.
Woman often complain about discussing sports in business but it is clear that talking about sports can be connecting and interesting when both parties enjoy the topic. I’ve known women who studied the sports pages before dining with an important customer because they knew the customer was an avid baseball or football fan.
Another way to fill the "empty spaces" is to have a depth of understanding on a topic. “I’m a history buff,” my client told me. “ so whenever I have a chance, I tell the person I’m dining with some little known tidbits that are funny or interesting. It always inspires the other person to think of a story he/she has heard and then we are off and running.”
Identify Where You Have A Depth Of Understanding is the second step in the six steps to applying what you already know to your business or career development. Most people develop a depth of understanding in the areas they are or were interested in as well as areas where they have natural gifts and strengths. They can use that knowledge in a variety of ways in their business or career. If you have thought it through carefully you can use your hidden assets as you try to build rapport and credibility with a new customer or employer.
Take Action
1. Prepare for a lunch discussion with a customer, client, potential employer or someone who is important to your career. Think of 3 topics that you could initiate discussion on.
2. Identify the areas where you have a depth of understanding. How have they helped you in your career? How could you use them in establishing your relationship with a customer, client or manager.
3. Identify some areas where you would like to deepen your understanding. Make an action plan to do that with steps and times to get it done
Making Conversation - To learn more about this author, visit Alvah Parker's Website.
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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