Schmoozing today with my electrician and painter, and for way longer than I should have, I started to think about how people connect – even, and especially, people who don’t know one another. From that, I extrapolated a few common themes that are good to keep in mind when you need to connect with an audience you don’t know at all or very well.
- Ask questions, be curious.
- Show interest in what you know about the other person’s work or mission.
- Tell relevant stories.
- Get personal, reveal just a little bit that makes you human and real.
- Treat everyone as if they’re the most important person or group you’ve talked to all day.
Incorporate a few or all of these in your next presentation, and see how it feels. It worked for me with Shane and Matt today, we could’ve talked forever!
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