You've heard folks whine, "I can't go to the party, I haven't got a
thing to wear." When was the last time you heard, "I can't go to
the party, I haven't got a thing to say?"
When going to a gathering with great networking possibilities, you naturally plan your outfit and make sure your shoes will
match. And, of course, you must have just the right tie or correct
color lipstick. You puff your hair, pack your business cards, and
you're off.
Whoa! Wait a minute. Didn't you forget the most important
thing? What about the right conversation to enhance your image?
Are you actually going to say anything that comes to mind—or
doesn't—at the moment? You wouldn't don the first outfit your
groping hand hits in the darkened closet, so you shouldn't leave
your conversing to the first thought that comes to mind when facing a group of expectant, smiling faces. You will, of course, follow your instincts in conversation. But at least be prepared in case
inspiration doesn't hit.
The best way to ensure you're conversationally in the swing of
things is to listen to a newscast just before you leave. What's happening right now in the world—all the fires, floods, air disasters,
toppled governments, and stock market crashes—pulverizes into
89
How to Always Have
Something Interesting
to Say
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02 (043-92B) part two 8/14/03 9:17 AM Page 89
Copyright 2003 by Leil Lowndes. Click Here for Terms of Use.
90 How to Talk to Anyone
great conversational fodder, no matter what crowd you're circulating in.
It is with some embarrassment that I must attribute the following technique to a businesswoman in the world's oldest profession. For a magazine article I was writing, I interviewed one of
the savviest operators in her field, Sidney Biddle Barrows, the
famed Mayflower Madam.