Ever found yourself in a networking conversation that seems to be going nowhere? You ask what you think are great questions but get one-word answers bounced back, and pretty soon you have nothing left to say (and start downing your drink so you can excuse yourself to “go get a refill”).
But while you may get stuck with generally awkward conversationalists from time to time, there are a few ways you can change up what you’re doing and saying to ensure that almost any first-time chat is a great one.
Here’s a quick but effective tip that Jacqueline Whitmore, etiquette coach and founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach, gives in a video for Entrepreneur: Ask open-ended questions, and start them with the phrase, “Tell me.”
It sounds simple, but those two words are a cue that you’re engaged in the conversation and fascinated by what you might learn, in turn making your networking partner excited to share and open up. “Anytime you start a sentence with ‘tell me,’ it launches into scintillating conversation,” she says.
So, after you kick things off with one of our 30 brilliant conversation starters, give your go-to questions a little upgrade. Here are a few to try at your next networking event:
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Instead Of: “What do you do?
Try: “Tell me, what’s been keeping you busy lately? -
Instead Of: “Do you like working there?”
Try: “Tell me, what’s it like working there?” -
Instead Of: “Are you enjoying the event?”
Try: “Tell me, what’s been the best part of the event for you?” -
Instead Of: “How’s business?”
Try: “Tell me, what are you most focused on right now?” -
Instead Of: “What were you doing before this job?”
Try: “Tell me, how did you get to where you are now?” -
Instead Of: “What do you do outside of work?”
Try: “Tell me, what are you excited about outside of work?” -
Instead Of: “What are you doing this summer?”
Try: “Tell me, what are you looking forward to this summer?”
Tell us! What are your best networking tips? Share them in the comments section!
