The sweetest sound a performer can hear welling up
out of the applause is "Encore! Encore! Let's hear it
again!" The sweetest sound your conversation partner
can hear from your lips when you're talking with a
group of people is "Tell them about the time you . . ."
Whenever you're at a meeting or party with
someone important to you, think of some stories he or
she told you. Choose an appropriate one from their
repertoire that the crowd will enjoy. Then shine the
spotlight by requesting a repeat performance.
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The added benefit of this technique is that, once you've got
them up and running with their conversation, you can sneak off
and find more interesting company!
One word of warning: make sure the story you request is one
in which the teller shines. No one wants to retell the time they lost
the sale, cracked up the car, or broke up the bar and spent the
night in jail. Make sure your requested Encore! is a positive story
where they come out the big winner, not the buffoon.
The full beauty of this technique will hit you like a happy
thunderbolt the first time you use it with someone who is telling
a long and wearisome tale. You simply tiptoe away and let the bore
spin the story on and on with your friend. (Of course, your friend
may never speak to you again. But that's not germaine to this
chapter!)
The next technique deals with sharing some positive stories of
your life.