The Art of Mingling (From Seeds of SUCCESS email)

Not everyone’s a natural conversationalist. In fact, 93 percent of us self-identify as shy, says Susan RoAne, known as The Mingling Maven and best-selling author of How to Work a Room. Here are tips for entering a room of strangers and effectively working the room:


1. When entering a room, head for the dessert table. People who are contemplating calories will always talk to you.

2. Don’t approach two people in a conversation; opt for three or four people. It’s an easier number to approach and reduces the chance you’re interrupting a private or sensitive conversation.

3. Looking for an “in” to a conversation? Say, “Excuse me, may I join you?” It’s an elegant way of inserting yourself and no one’s ever said no.

4. Wear something people can connect with. Madeleine Albright always wore beautiful brooches, so people would start conversations about that.

And one tip from a SUCCESS editor: Before a social gathering, catch up with what your friends are doing on Facebook. With this information, you can easily strike up a conversation about mutual interests or their latest vacation. Something easy like, “I saw your vacation photos on Facebook—where in Mexico was that?” is a great way to get them talking about their favorite topic—themselves.


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Good, quick, simple advice. I'll be using this at the next trade show/convention...