0
0
Whether we like to admit it or not, most of us feel uncomfortable in certain social situations. This may include turning up at a party where everyone else knows each other. Or maybe you know everyone, but you still dread the thought of going. You may even feel uneasy approaching co-workers or engaging in small talk. Whether it’s a gathering or a one-on-one encounter for business or pleasure, Jill Spiegel explains how to handle it all in How to Talk to Anyone About Anything!: The Secrets to Connecting.
Spiegel begins by stressing the importance of exerting positive energy when meeting people—sending out positive “mind messages” about you, others, and the situation itself. She then guides you through nine ways to start a conversation, how to build and maintain a conversation, and even how to exit one graciously. She also explains how to manage tricky situations, such as delivering difficult news and criticism, handling lulls in the conversation, and how to maintain dialogue on subjects you know nothing about.
How about difficult people? She also gives advice on dealing with passive-aggressives, gossipers, and those who like to brag.
So what if you practice and follow the steps religiously, but the person just doesn’t want to talk to you? Yes, she even gives advice on how to handle rejection.
Spiegel—who, by the way, is the great-great-granddaughter of Joseph Spiegel, founder of the Spiegel Catalog—knows what she’s talking about, as she has established a successful sales career on her own. Throughout the book, she relays her own experiences as well as those of others and provides exercises to help you along the way.
What impressed me about this book is how Spiegel is able to go into so much depth in just a little over a hundred pages. She doesn’t fall into the trap of other self-help books, spending chapters “selling” the book and the process with repetitive success stories. She also doesn’t expect you to go through a total personality transformation in order to engage in social interaction. You learn to work with your personality, not against it.
How to Talk to Anyone About Anything! is a comprehensive and concise guide that helps you tackle the most crucial and often the most difficult task that we perform in our everyday lives: communicating with people. You’ll find yourself carrying this book around with you and referring to it often.
