I'm a young small business manager and its really affecting my performance at work.
2007-02-04 11:20:50 · 9 answers · asked by Abbi R 2 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
something that helped me is to not look down when walking. if you have eye contact with a stranger, just say hello with a slight smile. you're gonna find a lot of people who are all too happy to speak and smile back. you'll start to feel they're just like you and your comfort level will increase.
2007-02-04 11:25:43 · answer #1 · answered by Christy 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The only way to extend your "comfort zone" is to go out of your comfort zone, in other words try talking to strangers as much as you can, think of it as practise. The more you do it the more "normal" it will seem and you will become more comfortable doing it. Tell yourself just before hand that theres nothing to lose and everything to gain by starting a conversation, and that if it doesn't go well......well if the person is a stranger anyway....your probably never going to have to see them again, so big deal if you accidentally stumble over a word etc. Always remember too.....that people LOVE to talk about THEMSELVES, so ask open ended questions...not questions with "yes/no" answers, and let the other person do the talking! For example....don't say "do you come here often?" or "the food is nice isn't it?" etc, because they will just say "yes i do/yes it is" or "no i don't/no it isn't" and that will be it. Instead ask stuff like....."so what do you do?" or "what made you become a.......doctor?' (or whatever they are). Your showing an interest in their lives....which, when your a stranger to them.....will be VERY flattering to them and will stroke their ego, and relax them too! (They will be thinking....thank god they started talking to me!! because that person is probably no good at talking to strangers either!) They then have a chance to tell you their life story, and you can just shut up and take it all in!....good way of getting tips and information out of people. Hope this helps, good luck
2007-02-04 20:01:37 · answer #2 · answered by heavenlyprinceoffrogs 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best way to overcome ur nervous ways is to smile. More often than not, the respond u get is another smile back, and it is always reassuring to speak to a friendly face. When it's time for u to speak, get ready with an introductory line - it could be anything, like, "I'd like to show u our latest product.." etc, keep it short and simple, memorize it if u want. The point here is that u want to get the ball rolling, and to show to the other party that it is u who is in control of the situation, and this can give u a boost of confidence to proceed with the meeting.
Good luck :-)
2007-02-04 20:19:03 · answer #3 · answered by geee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some pretty good advice from some of these answers already......
I think Christy has the best idea......making eye contact with people on the street and saying hello.....it might seem weird to start with and you may get some people thinking your a bit weird but when you get a "hello" or "hey" back and even making someone smile it doesn't only boost your confidence around strangers but can also make you feel good about yourself in general.......
And if all else fails, any stranger you have to deal with at work....just imagine them in the buff.....lol
2007-02-04 22:08:39 · answer #4 · answered by britboarder 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take a speech class in your local community. Practice speaking in front of your friends or go to open mike night at a cafe where you can go read poems aloud. If you don't this can seriously cause you to have major drawbacks and may majorly affect the outcome of your business.
2007-02-04 19:25:28 · answer #5 · answered by Cerantine 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i had stage fright and my forensics class was all about facing others in large groups and giving speeches so what i would do is i would practice talking in front of my mirror i still stumble through some of my speeches but I'm working on i say just practice talking and soon enough you ll be so good you'll start feeling comfortable around people
2007-02-04 19:35:40 · answer #6 · answered by charm caster 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be eager to learn about other people. Remember the fact that they will as shy as you are. You being shy would not help the situation. Being the first to initiate conversation builds confidnce, shows control and enthusiasm.
2007-02-04 19:25:05 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Were in the same boat. I've been throwing myself into situations where I have to do what is uncomfortable for me. And I pray A LOT.
2007-02-04 19:25:58 · answer #8 · answered by Psalm91 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
know thyself and have to adequate knowledge about ur product or service. beside those try to understand strangers demand and mentality.
2007-02-05 02:25:05 · answer #9 · answered by Difi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋