What are you Talking about?...

Welcome to week III of our series on making a great first impression. Today let's start small:Small talk = Big results

Meeting someone for the first time is always a bit nerve wrecking. If you want to connect with someone, you must be willing to take a chance and move beyond your anxieties. Conversations are based on verbal give and take. Some simple conversation strategies can make all the difference in your meet and greet.

Refocus your Anxiety:

Instead of worrying about how people are going to view you, re-frame your fear.  Ask yourself, "who can I meet here, what can I learn?" This allows you to most past your anxieties and refocus your thoughts on finding the advantage of the introduction rather than the fear.

Do your home work:

 It is often helpful you to prepare questions you have for the person you are meeting for the first time. If possible take a few minutes to learn something about the person you are meeting before you get together. This can be a great way to open the conversation and to keep it flowing. 

For instance, over the phone your potential client mentions he is an avid runner and is looking for a home near running trails. You then learn some running basics ie. a marathon is 26.2 miles. You meet your potential client, it goes something like this; 

you: Hi I am (your name here.)

potential client: Hi I am ( potential client name .)

You: It is great to meet you. I think you are going to be pleased with this community you will have no problem training for that 26.2 mile marathon. This community has miles and miles of running trails!

(new) client: That is great! I am currently training for the Boston Marathon I ran a 3:10 during my last marathon..........

Taking a few minutes to learn  personalized information made the introduction comfortable and effortless.....the potential client walked away thinking highly of you. You walked away with a new client!

Arm yourself with openers:

Maybe it is simply not possible to learn about the person you are meeting beforehand. In these instances it is helpful to have a few go to "openers." Use ice breakers that will turn a greeting into a conversation. Open ended questions are usually the safest way to achieve this.

Here are a few of our favorite ice breakers:

" I want to hear all about....( ex.your desire to relocate to the beach!)

"what do you think about ....(ex. this coffee shop, house location, ect)

" What is your opinion of ....( ex. the neighborhood?)

" Tell me about your ....( ex.desire to live near jogging trails.)

"Can you recommend ....( ex.a great place for us to grab a cup of coffee )

Implement these tips and your bound to make a great impression. You will find you have more opportunities to learn, that you are not tongue tied and will get the results you want!

{MRP suggested read; What do you say when.....by Florence Isaacs...}