Connect With Anyone in a Matter of Minutes

Learning how to connect with people the instant you meet is a great life skill to acquire. When you learn to connect with people, you learn to network. Whether you want to connect professionally or personally, this is a valuable skill that will serve many great purposes throughout life. The best part: It is not that hard. Even the most anti-social people with the worst first impressions can learn to connect in a matter of minutes with these useful tips.

Smile Genuinely

Let go of your anxiety and your people-fears and smile a real smile. It’s easy to tell when someone is smiling disingenuously, and it’s a turn off. You need to learn to let go of what’s holding you back from being happy to meet new people so that you can open up and let them in. A real smile can open doors, soften opinions, and help people connect.

Get Personal

When you use a person’s name in conversation, it automatically puts that person at ease. It makes it easy to connect when you use a person’s name to soften them up in conversation. For example, when you meet someone named Joan, instead of telling her it’s nice to meet her say, “Joan, it’s lovely to meet you,” and follow it up with a genuine compliment. For example, if you’ve heard of Joan at work, tell her that you’ve seen some of her projects and you’re really impressed with the amount of effort she puts into them or that you’d love to talk to her about XYZ. If you don’t know her and have never heard of her, compliment her great hair style or her necklace. Just be genuine about it.

Don’t Hog the Conversation

When it comes to making a connection with new people, it’s far easier to connect when you listen with interest than when you talk about yourself incessantly. Try directing the conversation so that the person with whom you are trying to connect is able to get in plenty of talk-time.