Opinion

Basic steps to speak to anyone easily — Part 1

You may be the best at what you do, yet you may not get all the benefits, such as special access, network, job, work, opportunities, and the like, that someone else can (who may also be less capable than you). Why? Just because he/she has a speaking (communication) skill and knows how to utilise the same for creating meaningful relationships that forge tremendous life results.

Yes, last week, we talked about the importance of being able to speak to anyone (at an event, being formal or an informal one). The benefits that one could attain from such an action include, but are not limited to, getting a new job, business, and/or contacts that can help them or anyone they know in profound and positive ways. We agreed that it may be scary to some (or to many, actually) and is an important skill that one should learn in order to avoid the necessary fear that he/she may encounter at the outset. Well, my article for the coming weeks, starting today, as promised last week, will share basic steps that anyone can follow (with practice, of course) to break the fear they may have and be able to speak to anyone easily.

Let’s take a practical example or scenario that most people encounter. You attend an event where you are in a room or venue that is full of people (mostly strangers). Your level of discomfort starts increasing, and just before you know it, you look for an excuse to leave the event. I bet you find this situation familiar. Don’t feel bad. This is a universal situation, and you are not alone. The first step is to realise that this is normal for the inexperienced.

How do you tackle this? Let me simplify some facts for you.

I want you to observe and scan the place. You will notice many people are either busy with their smart phones or talking to someone who may look happy, rude, annoyed, or disinterested altogether. Some are shying away from conversations because they too don’t know how to engage in a new conversation, while others are happy to grab these opportunities, and I can tell you confidently that this is what you should aim to achieve if you wish to attain profound results.

So where do I begin? Quite simply, preparing oneself. How? Create a small introduction about yourself — some call this an elevator speech. Ensure you clearly introduce who you are, what you do, who you represent, and most importantly, how you can add value. Getting this value right is critical, for it is the base of forming a successful relationship.

Next, ensure you study about the event, meeting and place you’re invited to attend. Try and learn everything from the objective, the theme, the people attending, etc. The more you know, the better equipped you will be. Lastly, being comfortable personally and making the other person feel comfortable as well is the goal you should strive to achieve if you wish to build a positive conversation and ultimately a relationship.

Clearly having your elevator speech (as a valuable intro), learning everything about the event beforehand and lastly keeping an objective of ensuring everyone (the speaker and listener) is an important first basic step to achieving a successful speaking engagement with anyone. Next week, I will be continuing my article into the actionable steps that you would need to take to achieve the mission successfully. Until we catch up again, stay positive and continue winning.