Sell YOU With Your Small Talk. (Yes You Can.)
?>
Download eBooks and Software
 Fully Verified Winning System Since 1999 & Vip Club Picks!
Winning Sports Picks & Predictions By Zcodesystem.com - Nhl, Nfl, Mlb And Nba Predictions And Picks From The Best Experts In The Industry + Fully Automated System Proven Since 1999 Awesome Conversion 5.26% And Recurring 60% Commission!
The Lotto Black Book
This Radical Approach To An Online Sales Letter Converts In The 3-5%... We've Never Seen Something Like This Since The Early Days Of 2004-2005 And I'm Sure You Haven't Either... We Convert More Than Our Competition And We Pay Out More... Try It!
Paleo Recipe Book - Brand New Paleo Cookbook
Brand New Paleo Diet Cookbook With Over 370 Recipes. Pays 70% Commission On This High-quality, Easy To Sell Product. Get Banners And Promotional Material At Http://paleorecipebook.com/affiliates.html
Articles > Business and FinanceSell YOU With Your Small Talk. (Yes You Can.)
by: W. Paul Barton
Want to build a relationship -- sell yourself for a job -- get ahead -- make a sale?
Your 'small talk' is crucial.
Everyday conversation can make or break you in personal relationships and in the business world. Sadly, most people don't realize how important small talk is, nor do they try to do better.
That's a shame, because anyone can easily develop great small talk skills.
Just how important is small talk?
A Stanford University School of Business study showed its impact on business success. It tracked MBA's 10 years after graduation, and found grade point averages had no bearing on their success -- but conversation did. Most successful were those who could make conversation with anyone -- from strangers, to secretaries, to bosses to customers.
Small talk impacts your success in 'personal' relationships because it can shape how others see you in terms of intelligence and confidence. People tend to see good conversationalists as more intelligent and confident.
Other research -- to find the characteristics of the ideal person -- has shown confidence and intelligence are the most important factors for about 60% of respondents.
Despite the importance of small talk, most people don't do it well. Shyness is one reason. Others range from not knowing how to start a conversation to not having anything to say.
But all it really takes to be good at small talk is a simple strategy.
THINK AHEAD
You will never have a conversation in a vacuum. It will always have its own context and environment. Think ahead about conversations you are likely to have -- even those casual encounters that may happen because of where you will be on a given day.
HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY
Make sure you have 'something to say.' Do a little research. Read the newspapers. Find interesting things to talk about -- serious or humorous -- on the subjects that come up in everyday conversation - careers, sports, the weather, money, kids, politics, etc.
ASK QUESTIONS
This is critical. A conversation takes two and questions help BOTH you and the other party. Ask someone a question, and you get them 'engaged.'
LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND
This strategy step requires you to, not only listen to how others answer questions, but to 'understand' and adapt.
ADAPT
Let's assume you are a salesperson and, when you enter the new prospect's office, you alertly notice a picture of him standing in front of a sign saying 'Michigan State University.' You say, 'Oh, I see you went to Michigan State.' The prospect replies, 'Yeah, I went there on a football scholarship.'
And you reply, 'Oh, I went to Boston University, myself. What was your major?'
Wrong follow-up question! The prospect 'volunteered' information important to him (football scholarship). You should have 'adapted' . . . following up with something like, 'Oh, what position did you play?' This could lead to a whole series of questions, increasingly 'engaging' the prospect.
When you successfully apply this simple strategy, you create 'rapport' - a feeling of trust and liking. This can cause others to think of you in positive ways:
'Personal' friends or personal friends-to-be:
'This is an interesting, entertaining and witty person -- the kind of person I like to have around me.'
Employers or potential employers:
'This is a person who would fit in here -- a person who can relate well and get along well with others.'
Customers:
'I'm comfortable with this person. This is the kind of person I'd like to do business with.'
Clearly, small talk is crucial to you. You owe it to YOU to do it well.
About The Author
Paul Barton is the author of, How To Be GREAT!!! In Conversation -- Small Talk Techniques To Help You Sell YOU, and an Internet publisher offering personal image improvement and other self-improvement books.
http://sellfire.com/relationships.htm
W. Paul Barton Associates
|
?>
News on Business and Finance
The Business Finance Store Discusses the Effects of Business Credit on Personal Credit
The Business Finance Store discusses some of the potential repercussions of business credit on a business owner’s personal credit.Santa Ana, CA (PRWEB) May 22, 2012 A recent study by Pepperdine University and Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. showed that most small businesses tend to get funding through traditional channels, the Washington Post reported. Seventy-one percent of small business ... The Business Finance Store Discusses Small Business Debt Collection
The Business Finance Store discusses some strategies for small business debt collection.Santa Ana, CA (PRWEB) May 23, 2012 Wonga, a high profile UK-based short-term lender, is being criticized by the British Office of Fair Trading for its debt collection practices, the BBC reported. One such debt collection tactic included suggestion that the debtor committed fraud and would be reported to the ... The Business Finance Store Discusses Business Incubators
The Business Finance Store discusses business incubators and how entrepreneurs can find the right one to develop their ideas into a successful business.Santa Ana, CA (PRWEB) May 20, 2012 Pinterest, the online virtual pin board, raised $100 million in a round of financing this week, The Wall Street Journal reported. The venture-capital funded tech startup is reportedly valued at $1.5 billion ... Canadian Business Eyeing Asia, Mexico, Brazil Like Never Before
Yet mood for expansion rests on stable economic growth at homeMISSISSAUGA, ON, May 23, 2012 /CNW/ - Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's persistent coaxing of Canadian business to diversify international ... Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s Survey of Economic Activity: Monthly Leasing and Finance Index
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s Monthly Leasing and Finance Index , which reports economic activity for the $628 billion equipment finance sector, showed overall new business volume for April was $6.1 billion, up 20 percent from volume of $5.1 billion in the same period in 2011.
|
