Lara Nieberding

Who recommended: Lynne Waymon

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What I am reading: Make Your Contacts Count (Networking Know-How For Business and Career Success) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon

Where in the book: page 126

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Why I am reading: Learning how to network. Cause believe me, I have no CLUE!

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Which quote: “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it…As with other ritual topics, if you are Seriously Curious, the weather can become interesting.”

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How this quote adjusted my thinking:

WOW! This is so cool. I had never considered making the topic of weather “interesting.”  I used to think if the conversation drifted to talking about weather that it was a polite cue to move along.  Thinking back, I can remember a couple of times where I was thinking “I wish I knew how to engage this conversation.”  I also remember a conversation where I used this tool.

I was at the food store when I bumped into a neighbor I had not seen in awhile.  We went through the ritual greeting:

“Hi!”

“How are you?”

“What have you been up to?”

Then, she said “It’s a beautiful day today.”

To which I responded “I know! and we are stuck at the food store! I bet you wish you were home enjoying your pool.”

The conversation blossomed.  I learned she had not “officially” opened her pool because she was going on vacation. I also learned a little bit about how much work goes into preparing the pool for swimming.  She told me when her pool would be ready and invited me over for a pool play date with our families. (Which, by the way, was wonderful!)

I am going to apply this technique in my professional interactions, too.  Obviously this technique is successful because I remembered the conversation with my neighbor.