Two Techniques for Tongue-Tied Networkers

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Two Techniques for Tongue-Tied Networkers

As we mentioned in You Don't Have to be Talkative to be a Great Networker, knowing what to say is not the be all and end all of networking, and listening is important above all else. However, sooner or later you've got to hold up your end of the conversation. To keep a conversation going, and to keep the other person interested, there are two strategies to help you along:

Strategy 1: How did you____?

This is easy, and it's such an open-ended question that it can get the other person talking ad infinitum. Simply ask a question about how they got to be where they are today. For example:

How did you end up in China?
How did you end up coming to Shanghai?
How did you get into the fashion industry?
How did you find out about tonight's event?

Keep reading to find out strategy number 2: the parrot strategy

Strategy 2: The Parrot Strategy

This one is even simpler. Whenever someone answers a question, repeat their reply in a questioning tone and the other person will usually be glad to elaborate. For example:

The other person: ...and then I decided to get into real estate
You: real estate?
The other person: Yeah, mostly commercial stuff in Beijing and by Sanya
You: Sanya?
...

Use this one in moderation, otherwise people really will think you're either a parrot or had a massive head trauma in the recent past.