Awkward moments, yeah we've all had them, but how do you
deal with these moments? Do you smile,
laugh, brush it off, get defensive, keep your head down in the blackberry? Personally, I’m a little quirky and I possess
a defense mechanism unlike most. I laugh…A LOT!!!
In business, one of the hardest awkward moments is small
talk. It’s one where we constantly ask
ourselves; what do I say, how do I say it, did I say that right? Constant analyzing is churning in our
heads. However, in business, the
awkwardness of small talk is one subject we need to learn to get over. We are constantly meeting with new clients,
talking to them on the phone/in person, or talking to multiple people at events. Through these encountering’s, it takes
preparation and planning to be the master of small talk, and trying to keep
that defense system turned off. The
question is how?
-ONE- try and pinpoint what you do in these moments,
for example my giggling. Try and focus
on this action and control your impulses.
-TWO- when you meet someone new, what is the first
initial statement that pops out of the mouth?
If you are like me, you say something like this “how are you…good…how
are you…good.” That’s typically where
the conversation takes a standstill and it seems as if the whole room engulfs
in silence. With these moments, it’s
smart to go in and know the person you are talking to. Come in prepared with knowledge of the people
you are speaking to. Have questions
prepared, try and learn what business they are in prior.
-THREE- go in with that awesome attitude you
possess. People sense a happy, confident
person and are attracted talking to them.
-FOUR- if you find yourself in a complete blank,
people love compliments, which lead into other topics.
Small talk is hard to master, especially when nervous, but
the more prepared and confident you are, you’ll go in with that completely
splendid attitude and win over the crowd.
