Part II
How to start a productive conversation with a stranger
For most people, after that initial hello it can be difficult to know what to talk about with someone new. You don’t want to talk about yourself — that would be rude and boring — and you don’t want to go into sales pitch mode and chat about your widget, but you do need to say something. In this part of the book we’re going to discover positive ways of behaving and continuing a conversation after that first hello.
Read the following chapters to learn how to:
• create the right first impression and understand other people’s eye contact
• network freestyle
• decide who you want to talk to and how to start
• start an easy conversation with a complete stranger
• make sure you’re networking in the right places for the people you want to meet.
Chapter 6
Making a positive first impression
I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.
Abraham Lincoln
Imagine this scene: you’re walking along the beach with your dog, taking in the scenery, and you spot a man walking his trusty labrador, which is off the lead. The man throws a stick to his dog and off the dog bounds, straight into the water to retrieve it, bringing it back to his master with pride. You also notice a woman walking in the opposite direction with her labrador, also off the lead and having a good time with a ball. As the two people and their two dogs get closer, a couple of things could happen. The dogs could run at each other and attack or, if they are ...
