A lot of people have a lot of angst and frustration when it comes to . . . you know . . . talking to strangers. But, in fact, it’s not as complicated as you might think. An excellent place to practice and hone your networking skills is your local coffee shop.
Imagine you’re standing in line at your favorite coffee shop. You breathe in that smell of fresh roasted coffee and you think to yourself, “There is NOTHING better than a fresh Cup of Joe!”
You’re a regular at the coffee shop and you know all the baristas by name. You have absolutely no problems talking to THEM.
Your eyes scan the menu overhead as you wait in line, settling on your favorite drink. You know exactly what you want: The Deliciously Dark Chocolate Mocha.
You get to the register and place your order. After a short wait, the barista slides a huge, steaming hot mug across the counter, filled to brim with the Deliciously Dark Chocolate Mocha, which is topped with a mountain of cold, frothy whipped cream. You carefully pick up your mug and make your way across the shop to your usual table by the window.
You sit down and your mouth starts to water as you bring the Dark Chocolate Mocha to your lips. Your taste buds do a happy dance as the coffee slides across your tongue. You smile dreamily. You’re in Tastegasm Heaven.
However, your pleasant reverie is shattered as you look at the person sitting at the table across from you. Who is That Person?
Well, it could be:
- Your Hero
- Your Crush . . . Celebrity or Otherwise
- The Person You Want To Be When You Grow Up
- Your Favorite Blogger
- The CEO of a Company You’re Dying to Work For
- Someone Else Altogether
Your eyes widen. Your mouth goes dry. Your mind goes blank. You’re going to have a HUGE problem talking to That Person.
YOU WANT TO TALK TO THAT PERSON, BUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO SAY. WORST OF ALL, YOU CAN’T STOP STARING.
You know that if you open your mouth and try to speak to them at that exact moment, nothing but goobly-gook is going to come out.
The whole situation is quite awkward, isn’t it? You WANT to say something, but you feel like there is an enormous gulf in between you and That Person. There can’t be ANYTHING to talk about that you both have in common.
Your brain is lying to you. That thought is a lie and a sham. You DO have something in common and that thing is right in your hands – a delicious cup of coffee!
Your confidence comes rushing back and you take a sip of your coffee. You look towards That Person and notice they seem to enjoying their coffee immensely. You smile and make eye contact. That Person smiles back at you.
Now, here comes the moment you’ve been waiting for. You open your mouth and say, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate that cup of coffee you’re drinking and why? I’m a huge fan of the coffee here, so I’m curious as to your opinion.” That Person stares at you thoughtfully, and says, “Well, as a matter of fact, I think . . . ”
And, BOOM! You’ve talked to a perfect stranger. It was a lot easier than you thought, no?
