• Learn a person’s name, remember it, and use it in the conversation. • Listen attentively and encourage people to talk about themselves. • Find a reason to give the other person a sincere compliment. • Center your conversation around the other person’s interests. Look for interests that you have in common. • Make the other person feel like the most important person in the room.
Show Respect and Promote Engagement:
• Never argue. Be respectful of others’ opinions. Don’t say, “You're wrong.” • Nod your agreement with the other person. Try to phrase points so that they find it easy to say “yes.” • Let them do most of the talking and think they came up with the good ideas. • Practice empathy, but don’t say, “I understand how you feel” unless you’ve been in the same situation. • Assume the other person has good intentions. • When possible, tell stories to illustrate your points.
Avoid Friction:
• If the other person makes a mistake, call it to their attention indirectly. Ask for clarification — don’t confront. • Be quick to acknowledge your own mistakes. • Avoid sounding dictatorial. Put what you want the other person to do in the form of a question: “Would you be
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