Are you ever self-conscious about talking to strangers?
One way – take the focus off YOU – put it here instead…
Here’s how we did that – recruiting:
Scene. EVENING. 10:12pm. Kinko’s copy center 6 blocks from my old place…
I’m in line, seeing who’s got life force and who looks like they’re copying interesting looking stuff. I’d start it off…
“Do you come here often this late at night?” – smiling big. I was there evenings –
I’d ask them what they’re working on, they’d tell me “(Oh my new book!” etc) and then they’d often ask, “What do YOU do?”
I’d tell them – “My company’s expanding and I’m looking for someone who could head up a sales and marketing team in the area…Do you know anyone who might like to know about something like that?” (We had different variations on this.)
That way focus was never on me – or on them – but on who I was looking for, first…
If they were interested, we’d talk more so I could see if they might know someone. Often THEY volunteered.
I got recruits each week doing this one strategy…working the lines at Kinko’s copy center evenings. And I taught that to countless of my newbies who liked the idea of learning how to do that…
PS Also with that approach, the other person never felt on the spot, since nobody was asking them directly to do anything other than scan their brain in case they might know someone…
Less pressure all around. Think?
PS Feel free to pass this on to anyone who’s shy about talking to strangers, or who’s not sure what to say without blathering. I have a little eBook here to help: If My Product’s So Great, How Come I Can’t Sell It? If you prefer listening to ways to talk to people, you might like 3 Scripts here…
“…scan their brain…”
All you’re asking the other person to do is scan their brain, in case they might know someone…
I like the way you worded that.
I’m not shy about talking with strangers but I love the above approach!
Just finished the book and i loved it.