Enhance your people skills
If you fancy making some new friends but haven’t got the confidence then here are some sure fire tips from allaboutyou.com to turn you into the ultimate people magnet!
Positive signals
Sounds like an obvious one but the more you show someone you like them…the more they will like you. It isn’t a case of leaving a fruit basket on their desk or offering to complete that tower of reports that have been piling up on their desk, it is a simple matter of sending positive signals. When we receive positive signals it is in our human nature to feel compelled to respond, so if you like someone make sure you show it!
Eye contact
Avoiding someone’s gaze does not send of good vibes. Maintaining eye contact during a conversation shows genuine interest and a want to connect. Even if you are a little afraid of eye contact, glaring over a persons shoulder when they are trying to hold as conversation isn’t going to earn you any brownie points. A helpful tip for those who feel perturbed by staring into someone’s steely gaze is to slowly move your eyes around someone’s face in a fixed pattern. Hopefully the other party won’t really notice these subtle movements but you will feel more comfortable.
Plan your conversations
Keep small talk topical and form your opinions before a party or event. It sounds like cheating but take a look at the days paper and then think over and practice what you want to talk about. This will help to boost your confidence and will stop you from stuttering or stumbling over your words and topics.
Match their tone
Mirroring someone’s body language will really help you to connect to them. Life coach and NLP expert Trudy Hill suggests that, just as you’d mirror body language to help connect. You can also use your tone to your advantage too. Apparently studies show that 93% of what comes across in conversation is unrelated to the words and content. It’s all about rapport!
Be a good listener
Facial expressions and eye contact are key is showing that you are genuinely listening. Another helpful tip is to repeat part of the question or conversation back to them so they know you have taken in what they have been saying. This will also show that you are sympathising.