Networking and the Power of Conversations

No matter what your career path or role in life, your ability to build a strong support system will be key in your success and well being.

Networking is a lifelong process of meeting people, making contacts, developing friendships, and building professional relationships.

How do you network?

Herein lies the key:  “Each person’s life is lived as a series of conversations. “ Deborah Tannen

English Communication- Keeping a Conversation Going

For great conversations and satisfying conversations, memorize these questions:

• “What do you think?”
• “How did you become interested in…?”
• “I am considering taking up _____ (yoga, weight lifting, tennis, meditating, scuba diving).  Would you recommend a class or individual lessons?”

These questions focus on someone else’s expertise and experience.  Putting the focus on the other person, shining the light on others is a way to feel more comfortable and make the other person know he/she is valued, appreciated.

Click here: www.cleartalkmastery.com/scheduler to sign up for a Free Sample Lesson with us!

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercises.

How Do You As a Speaker Impact an Audience?

• How you look includes your clothes, your facial expression, your stance, your body movement, your hands, how you move your eyes.

• Suppose you are trying to motivate a group, and you tell them something is “a wonderful opportunity,” but you don’t look or sound it.  Vision is the king of the senses; hearing is queen. They believe their eyes and ears, not your words.

• Hands in pockets tries to create a casual impression.  But this can make you look anxious or disinterested.  Besides, it adds no plus value to your speech.  Who said casual was a good way to look in front of an audience?  You are much better off looking committed to what you are saying.

English Communication- Get Ready to Start a Conversation

Do you want to be a good conversationalist? Prepare several topics of conversation before you head out for a meeting, reception, social gathering, or meal.

Here are some general subjects you can personalize or adapt to your situation:

• Sports (national, international, local)
• Weather (the good, the bad, the surprising)
• Local events
• Film and art festivals, community theater
• Traffic/travel/parking problems
• Latest movies (Academy Awards, Emmys, Golden Globes)
• Best-selling books
• Magazine articles
• News stories
• Hobbies (cooking, collecting anything, making anything)
• Holidays (Chinese New Year, Halloween, Labor Day, Christmas)
• Schools attended (from grammar school on)
• The location you are in
• The event you are attending
• The host or hostess

Click here: www.cleartalkmastery.com/scheduler to sign up for a Free Sample Lesson with us!

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercises.

Rapport- How Much to Customize?

Go to the trouble of learning about the audience.  Make six or seven references geared specifically to your audience.  That makes you, the speaker, something of an insider and lets the audience know you took the trouble of learning about them.

Make comments – humorous statements, praise, or just simple observations – about the people you’re speaking to, the organization’s history, local businesses, local news, events, or customs.