How to Become a Master at Talking to Strangers

[jules32]

H/t Erin on Twitter:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/375641

"If you’re interested only in things you know you’re interested in, you will never be surprised. You’ll never learn anything new, or gain a fresh perspective, or make a new friend or contact. "

"Nightingall breaks down listening into three levels.

1. There is listening for things you know about. That’s the most superficial level. That’s when someone says something about baseball and you jump on it and start talking about baseball.
2. Then there is listening for information — you show curiosity about someone but your questions are about collecting factual data. That’s also more about you and your interests.
3. And then there’s the deepest level of listening: listening for experiences, feelings, motivations, and values. That kind of listening is more than simply hearing, or self-­affirmation. It’s paying attention and endeavoring to understand. It is demonstrated with eye contact, echoing, and paraphrasing, and it can be deepened by asking clarifying questions —­ Why? How? Who? — that help the person get to the heart of the matter."