person's conversation toward subjects that are more interesting to you. Part of being curious is just keeping yourself alert and engaged. Avoid being judgmental. You don't agree with everything your friends say. Just treat the people you meet the way you treat your friends. Once you learn this, I have seen considerable changes in customers. I've met some people who came in and were cranky, challenging to deal with, and even downright hostile. I hit it off. I sat down. I learned how to talk and listen to them for hours, and then they hired me to help them sell their house. You can do the same thing yourself. Just learn how to listen. You can turn it into a contest for yourself. See how long you can let someone else talk before you open your mouth and speak. You could meet a new person at a community event or somewhere or a new customer. Just let them talk. If you're meeting them one-on-one, maybe at an open house, just let them talk and talk and talk. Just smile, listen to them, and see how long you can go before interrupting or replying. Most people avoid silence. The less you say, the harder they will work to fill up the empty spaces in the conversation. Think of how much you'll learn about the other person! You'll know what they like — things you can touch to bond with them. You'll discover their dislikes — things to avoid in future conversations. You'll discover their thoughts — their hopes and goals, fears and insecurities. All of these things help define your role as a friend. How can you help these people? How can you support their goals? How can you put them at ease? You can train yourself to become a good listener. A good listener will run circles at making friends around somebody who talks a lot about themselves.
Then become genuinely interested in other people. Listen to
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