Effortless Networking: Constructive Conversations

Here are a couple of comments I got recently:

\"[How do I] bring a conversation in a social situation around to a discussion of the service I offer?\"

\"I don\'t know what to say. I want to meet people, but am often at a loss to get the conversation started or keep it going.\"

So how do you start a conversation that\'s useful to you and the other person? Or re-direct a meandering one? How do you talk about your business in a social situation?

You really only need 2 things:

In other words, what would make a conversation worthwhile? What\'s of interest to you?

Of course, the topic can vary from day to day, from context to context, and from person to person. But if you have a sense of what you want to get out any given conversation, or what would make one interesting, you can direct or re-direct its flow.

For example, if you\'re talking someone who mentions that she suffers from hay fever, and you sell air purification systems, that\'s an opportunity.

A conversation about the product you sell, with someone who may benefit from it, could certainly be a worthwhile conversation for both of you.

When you ask this person whether she has looked into air purification systems, and she says \"No, what\'s that?\" or \"Yes, but I\'m not interested\" or \"I tried one and it didn\'t work\" -- these are all \"openings\" for you.

You can use any of these responses to take the conversation in the direction of your product offering -- although the path to it would be different.

In other words, in one case you might mention your product right away, in another case you might find out more about her experience with such systems and why she\'s averse to using them, and so on.

Are you surprised at the simplicity? Sorry if you expected to be \"dazzled\", but sometimes \"simple\" is most effective!

Try it out yourself.

(c) Copyright 2007, Srirupa Dasgupta

Srirupa Dasgupta is the author of Effortless Networking: Everyday Wisdom to Transform your Business and Life, and creator of the comprehensive Effortless Networking home-study program. Sri works one-on-one with business professionals who want to master the art of networking conversations and relationship-building.

Effortless Networking: Getting the Most out of your Conversations
Are you able to get the most out of your conversations? Especially when you only have a few minutes of the other person's attention?Well, to do this, ...

Effortless Networking: Finding Real Prospects
Are you looking for events where you can meet people who might be interested in your products and services?If yes, then you're looking for "prospectin...

Effortless Networking: How to "Work the Room"
I've been resisting writing about how to "work the room" because I personally don't like to do it (interesting how that happens). Fortunately, I came ...

Effortless Networking: How to Connect With Someone Quickly
"How do I connect with someone quickly?"This may seem like a simple question, but it's actually a little more complex -- and perhaps you know that alr...

Effortless Networking: Can You Network In Your Sweats?
A few years ago, someone asked me whether it was OK to network if she was not "dressed up" for it.For instance, she said, if I'm at the checkout line ...

Effortless Networking - Can We Get Together for Coffee?
How many cups of coffee do you need to cultivate a networking contact? Here is a comment from a reader, and my response to it:"[My biggest challenge i...

Effortless Networking: A Better Way to ask for Referrals
Do you know how to ask for what you want in a way that gets you results, especially when it comes to asking for referrals?When asking anyone for anyth...

Winning Networking Strategies From the World of Tennis
What wins at Wimbledon wins at your local chamber. Watch a tennis match; world class or amateur, the basics are the same. In each case the goal is t...

Networking Tiger Traps
Have you ever considered that when you are networking you are also often giving away information? Information which maybe proprietary in nature to you...

How to Make Networking Work For You, Part 1
For some people, a networking event is excruciating, intimidating and even feels physically and emotionally painful. Some people consider networking ...

Mary Kay Ash Did It Best… (The Networking Factor)
"The Networking Factor, Everyone is important!" This slogan reminds me of another personal credo by one of the country's greatest motivators... Zig Zi...

How to Turn Simple Networking Snafus Into Effective Techniques
Networking is an activity that many people take part in on a regular basis. In fact, most of us dont even realize we are networking when it takes plac...

Business Networking
Put join a networking group on your to do list with a big underline, star and happy face. Youll be glad you did for more reasons than you can count. A...

For Networking Success - Break the Superficial Ceiling
Over a cup of coffee, a technology professional remarked with a sigh, I know I could advance in my career if I did more networking, but I dont. I can...

Networking for Introverts - Avoid Panic and Build Relationships for Business and Personal Success
Networking is always a popular career topic, and the reason is simple: the people you know and those who know you will have an enormous influence on y...