How to talk to people

By: Tiffany Arcari, Member Services, Peterborough Chamber of Commerce

I recently read an article in the New York Times written by Jolie Kerr.  It was a summary of a conversation
with NPR host Terry Gross on how to talk to people. This is a critical skill for business people, so here are a few of her insights.

1. Best icebreaker = “Tell me about yourself".  It allows you to start a conversation without the fear that you’re going to inadvertently make someone uncomfortable or self-conscious.
2. Be curious. According to Ms. Gross,“be genuinely curious, and wanting to hear what the other person is telling you.”
3. Be funny (if you can). “A good conversationalist is somebody who is fun to talk to,” she said. If you can’t be funny, be reasonably concise and energetic.
4. Be prepared. Organize your thoughts by thinking about the things you expect you’ll be asked and things you’d like to ask others.
5. Take control by pivoting. “If you don’t feel that you have a strong response for a question, say, ‘let me share an experience." From there, you can share an experience that redirects the conversation.
6. Pay attention to body language. “Try to pick up on when you’ve kind of lost somebody’s attention,” she said. That way, you can avoid boring your fellow interlocutor to death.”