For any conversation, it can be said that “the best present is presence.” We’ve talked about shining the spotlight on your partner and finding out more about what makes him so cool—as if you were a social Sherlock Holmes. The precursor to any and all of these ideas is lending your presence.
How do you know when you’re present in a conversation? It doesn’t take any special skill or training—you can probably tell when someone else isn’t involved in your conversation! They’ll look like they’re drifting off, or that they’re thinking about something else, such as their grocery list. This isn’t something you can act your way out of either—not even actors can pretend that they’re present.
And when you’re present in a conversation, you’re tuned into the person with you. Be sure to ask questions of them and then to follow up with them! You can even follow up with them on the marathon they’re preparing for, or if their kids are about to act in the upcoming school show. Schedule a time to check in with them via text, email, or phone call—plan for your likability to grow.
With this, you can turn potential clients into clients, and clients into friends. Instead of just offering a cold, cut and dried sales pitch to someone, you can follow up with them and find out how they’re doing—a kind of softening statement to a sales pitch.
Stay tuned, and stay awesome!
