Do you want to be seen as an interesting person?
Want to know the secret?
HA - Not telling you!
Only joking!
You know, a lot of people would like to be seen as interesting to others but can never quite get it right.
I'd like to share with you a personal story that happened to me on a recent trip to Los Angeles to highlight what being interesting is all about!
It had been a hectic year so my wife Donna and I decided to treat ourselves and travel America for 3 weeks. First stop L.A!
There I was in the departure lounge at Heathrow when an elderly gentleman came and sat next to us and low and behold he got out a book titled something like "101 best ice-breakers to use in your training events"
Now I have a real thirst for knowledge and I love talking to people and finding out all about them.
My wife saw me looking over the shoulder of the gentlemen at the book and with a knowing smile she rolled her eyes back because she knew what was coming next!
"Hi, is that book any good?" I asked "Hello" replied the gentlemen "Yes, I am trying to learn some techniques to freshen up my training events"
"Ah, are you a trainer yourself?" I asked "Yes, been a trainer for over 35 years"
"Wow, that's awesome, I am a trainer too. What major differences have you seen over the years.....
Over the next hour or so I asked him all kinds of questions like:
"Who he had worked for?"
"What his most effective tip for training was?"
"What he was currently working on?"
"What his plans were for the coming year?"
"Why had he been visiting the UK?"
All sorts of questions!
When our flight was called to board I shook him by the hand and wished him all the best and he replied:
"You know what Sean you are one of the most interesting people I have ever met" (my wife rolled her eyes back once more!)
"Oh, thanks" I replied "Yes, that hour has just flown by - I wish more people were like you Sean"
So we said our goodbyes and I just about fit my head through the airplane boarding door and sat down.
Now his comments got me thinking....
In the hour that we talked he must have spoken for about 90% of the time. I was interested in what I could learn from this guy, what he had done before and what made him the person he was.
I hardly said anything to be honest apart from my questions and clarifying points.
He spoke about himself for the majority of the time and herein lies the lesson of being an interesting person.
In order to be INTERESTING you need to be INTERESTED with other people.
Instead of talking about yourself all of the time be interested in others. What they have done, why they have done it, what makes them tick, ask questions.
People like talking about themselves so show more interest in the other person than yourself and you will soon be seen as interesting!
Let me ask you this quick question before I sign off 1 When you hear people talk about themselves all of the time, what do you think?
Yes, me too! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!
Now ask yourself this question:
What percentage of the time do you talk about yourself to others?
Now what are they thinking while you are talking?
Yes - the same!
To learn more about this author, visit Sean McPheat's Website.
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