>> |
06/23/09(Tue)22:16:51 No.4569085Eye
contact is key; it accounts for so much of your communication that you
simply cannot succeed without it. In our culture, you commonly look
into the eyes of the person you're talking to, and break the contact
every couple of seconds so it isn't a stare-down. If you're shy and/or
can't make eye contact for some reason, keep your eyes focused on the
listener's nose or lips and follow the same rule.
Once you've
got body language down (eye contact, facing the listener, standing up
straight), small talk itself is inane at best, but you need to break
the ice before you can talk about something of substance. If you
honestly can't think of any other way to relate to the person in front
of you, open up with an observation about the weather. If the person is
warm and friendly, you're good. If the person is cold and unreceptive,
be polite but curt, cut your losses, and move on. This, for the record,
is probably how your peers see you; your anxiety and nervousness likely
make you appear aloof and unapproachable rather than
creepy/weird/retarded/whatever. |