The Secret to Making New Friends in Unexpected Places
By: Nicky Vanvalkenburgh
How can you make new friends in your community? For starters, you can
make friends by showing a genuine interest in people that you meet at the
bank, grocery store, gym and checkout lines.
Oddly enough, talking to strangers can be a good way to network with
people, and occasionally make new friends. Here are six suggestions for
finding friends in unexpected places.
1. Strike up a conversation. Whether you're shopping, standing in line
at the bank or grocery store -- make a conscious effort to talk to people.
Take the initiative, and make the first move. You'll be amazed when happens
when you talk to strangers.
2. Find common ground. Ok, you're both frustrated about waiting in this
long line. What can you say to get the other person talking? Come on, say
something! What you're looking for is an "instant connection" that jumpstarts
your conversation. It's a spark that ignites a fire inside you. Now that the fire
is lit, you're curious. You want to know more about this person. It's easy to
talk to someone once you establish common ground.
3. Show genuine interest. When you're genuinely interested in someone, you
ask questions, lean forward, and make eye contact. Try not to dominate the
conversation by talking about yourself excessively. Remember, it's not about you;
it's about them. They talk and you listen.
4. Remember their name. "A person's name is the sweetest and most
important sound in any language," says Dale Carnegie, in his classic bestseller,
How to Make Friends and Influence People. Remembering someone's name
(and gently using it in conversation) shows you care and this person is important to you.
Ok, you're talking to someone and building some rapport. What's next?
You may want to exchange business cards, or phone numbers and emails.
If it's appropriate, you could ask them to join you for a cup of coffee,
make plans for lunch or invite them to an upcoming event. It making plans
seems out-of-place, just smile and say, "Have a great day!" You'll probably
run into them again sometime, if it's meant to be.
There is a lot more that could be said about networking with people,
but here's the bottom line: Know what you want, take initiative, and
have a confident expectation that it will happen. That's the secret
to success, and it works for people from all walks of life. Now, let's go
out and make some new friends!
Writer Nicky Vanvalkenburgh offers two f ree e-books about the brain and emotions at http://www.20minutestolessstress.com/
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
How can you make new friends in your community? For starters, you can
make friends by showing a genuine interest in people that you meet at the
bank, grocery store, gym and checkout lines.
Oddly enough, talking to strangers can be a good way to network with
people, and occasionally make new friends. Here are six suggestions for
finding friends in unexpected places.
1. Strike up a conversation. Whether you're shopping, standing in line
at the bank or grocery store -- make a conscious effort to talk to people.
Take the initiative, and make the first move. You'll be amazed when happens
when you talk to strangers.
2. Find common ground. Ok, you're both frustrated about waiting in this
long line. What can you say to get the other person talking? Come on, say
something! What you're looking for is an "instant connection" that jumpstarts
your conversation. It's a spark that ignites a fire inside you. Now that the fire
is lit, you're curious. You want to know more about this person. It's easy to
talk to someone once you establish common ground.
3. Show genuine interest. When you're genuinely interested in someone, you
ask questions, lean forward, and make eye contact. Try not to dominate the
conversation by talking about yourself excessively. Remember, it's not about you;
it's about them. They talk and you listen.
4. Remember their name. "A person's name is the sweetest and most
important sound in any language," says Dale Carnegie, in his classic bestseller,
How to Make Friends and Influence People. Remembering someone's name
(and gently using it in conversation) shows you care and this person is important to you.
Ok, you're talking to someone and building some rapport. What's next?
You may want to exchange business cards, or phone numbers and emails.
If it's appropriate, you could ask them to join you for a cup of coffee,
make plans for lunch or invite them to an upcoming event. It making plans
seems out-of-place, just smile and say, "Have a great day!" You'll probably
run into them again sometime, if it's meant to be.
There is a lot more that could be said about networking with people,
but here's the bottom line: Know what you want, take initiative, and
have a confident expectation that it will happen. That's the secret
to success, and it works for people from all walks of life. Now, let's go
out and make some new friends!
Writer Nicky Vanvalkenburgh offers two f ree e-books about the brain and emotions at http://www.20minutestolessstress.com/
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites