3 Dinner Conversation Tips:

An attendant of my "V.I.P. Networking" seminar Wednesday night asked an excellent question:

"What can I do when the conversation begins to lag...fall off...at a client luncheon? It makes me uncomfortable when I feel like I should be entertaining them..."

Thanks for your question Dr. Brett! This is how I answered him:

1) Throw the ball back to them- In other words, when conversation begins to lull, you can always ask the other person a question about themselves. Everyone is an expert about their own life, and usually very happy to talk about it. For instance, "Where did you grow up?"

2) Be prepared- Listen to the news while you are getting ready in the morning. It is always nice to have a current event handy when you need fodder for your conversation.

3) Memorize your 10 Questions- Everyone should memorize 10 questions that will help them start a conversation with a new acquaintence. Some of my favorites are:

                "Have you read any interesting books lately?"

                 "What is your favorite travel spot?"

                "What was the last movie you saw?"

                "Which team do you like for the Super Bowl...World Series...Final Four...etc.?" 

Comments

[Arthur Doer]

I am going to be visiting some of our Asian vendors and don't want to offend any of them when we are eating.

[Ms. Corrigan]

Marsha,

I will soon attend the wedding of my daughter's best friend. It is a destination affair, in Hawaii. Her parents gave my daughter a very lavish gift, but they didn't have to pay the expenses to attend an out of town wedding. Must we reciprocate with an expensive gift?- Ms. Corrigan