Many people (me included) have a hard time making meaningful conversation with a complete stranger.  Most people in direct sales have heard the "3 foot rule".  Translate: stalk talk to everyone within 3 feet of you about your business.  Try waiting in line for a Starbucks on a Saturday morning and slipping in the fact that you sell candles, cooking ware, or in my case..."bedroom accessories".  Yup, not an easy one to slide in there before everyone has had their coffee for the day! 

I met a very interesting gentleman  man  dude guy at the Jack Canfield Ultimate Life Workshop.  His business card says he's a "Connection Consultant" and his name is Judson Redmond.  What is that you ask?  He teaches people how to have comfortable conversation and how to really engage the people you are talking to.  He has these amazing tips AND he makes a living coaching people like me (and you) to success.

Here are 3 of his tips that really struck me:

1.  Strangers don't know one another's names so telling the other person your name and getting theirs early in the conversation is a must.

2.  Try to stick to being genuine before clever.  This is a hard one for me.  I'm a sarcastic smart ass much of the time so you can imagine this one is going to be difficult for me.  

3. Remember conversation NOT interrogation.  Using who, what, where, when and how questions are a sure way to begin the rapport with another person. 

I did a teleconference with him for my team and it turned out so great that I am going to do another one that is more general and geared toward those in network marketing/direct sales/ home party plans.  Sound interesting?
Let me know in the comments section and I will let you know when this FREE teleconference happens!