The Secret is Charm
All the things that have been said so far
are about how you can create a favorable impression. There is something that is
equally or even more important than that, and that is to make the other person
feel comfortable. Help the other person relax.
Any way you have been chatting for quite
some time so you do know a great deal about each other. The best thing you can
do is to ease the tension and break the ice. Sometimes the ice gets so thick
that you can literally feel it. Break it up by cracking a joke or two.
But the joke should be spontaneous and in
keeping with the situation or else it will fall flat. Do not rehearse a joke
because a rehearsed joke sounds…well…rehearsed.
The key word here is charm. Use all the
charm that you can muster. Try to be as considerate and as thoughtful as
possible. Do not dominate the conversation but try to get the other person
talking. People generally love to talk about themselves so try to get the other
person talking by asking about the person’s work. Show interest in whatever the
other person says.
Try to be a good conversationalist. A good
conversationalist is not a person who talks well, but is one who listens well
as well. So try to be a good listener. And while you are listening try not to
get distracted by something else or the other person might feel that you are
losing interest in what he or she is saying.
Then comes the question, “what do you do if
you find that the other person is dominating the conversation?”
Well, in that case listen patiently for a
minute or two and then give a subtle sign like a raised eyebrow or a smile
through the corner of your mouth. If the other person is intelligent enough, he
or she will get the cue. If not, then take your chance, you might have to
listen to this person for the rest of your life.
Humor rarely fails. But again take care not
to over do it. There is only one thing worse than a total lack of humor and
that is too much humor.
Gifts?
It is a good idea to take a gift along with you as that does create a
good impression, but remember that when you are courting the gifts should be
limited to flowers or chocolates only. While you are chatting try to find out
what the other person likes in flowers and