Why talk to people?
There are so many benefits to having a conversation with another person. Business benefits, health benefits, life benefits – this all sounds great doesn’t it? And yet, many of us find it a little bit difficult, a little bit intimidating and sometimes a little bit uncomfortable to strike up a conversation. Some days even talking to someone we know and care about can be hard.
Let’s chat about it for a moment. We’ll consider just some of the benefits to motivate us and then I have four tips to help you start conversations.
Business benefits:
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Create connections
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Share information
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Spark collaboration, creative ideas and problem-solving
Health benefits:
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Increased sense of empathy and togetherness
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Higher self-esteem
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Boost happiness and feelings of belonging
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Increased energy
Life benefits:
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Give you new perspectives
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Challenge you, inspire you, motivate you and help you grow
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Help you learn
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Build relationships
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Give you a sense of value – feeling that someone understands you
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Fun and fascinating
Want all of the above added into your life? Here’s 4 tips for starting conversations – big or small, long or short, meaning deep talk or light-hearted chitchat.
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Be observant – look for clues about this person and find some common ground. It can be as simple as their coffee cup from the same brand as yours. This can give you an idea of what interests this person and help establish some common ground.
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Show personal interest – you can’t fake this – people know when you’re not really paying attention. Use names, actively listen and show you care about them. People ARE interesting with a life story worth exploring and usually something they can teach you.
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Ask questions – conversation is a two-way street so ask some questions and get those words flowing. Use a mix of closed questions (can be answered with a yes/no or short phrase) and open questions (require more detailed explanation). But don’t let it become an interrogation so be willing to open up and share some details about yourself as well.
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Practice – at the end of the day, the only way to become a more comfortable conversationalist is to get out there and start talking to people. Say hi to the person waiting in line next to you. Ask your checkout helper how their day is going. Compliment someone on their dress and tell them they look great. Just start talking – to everyone!
So there you have it. Talking to other people is good for us and can help us in our work lives. Perhaps give one of the above tips a try and see how it goes!
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