Tip o' the Morning to Ya - Rich Etiquette: Conversing Socially

Rich Habits Word of the Day

Narcissistic – Selfish, egoistic. Tom learned from his study of the wealthy that most people are narcissistic and only focused on themselves during conversations.

Rich Habits Fact of the Day

Warren Buffett likes to talk and he likes to talk with his hands moving freely in front of him. To many Buffett seems like a natural in front of large audiences. If only this had always been the case.

Buffett used Andrew Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” to overcome his more shy and reserved self. Most people who hear him speak today would not guess that he was a very shy young man. Not until his early 20’s did this fear of interacting with others start to diminish.

He became a teacher at night at a local small college so he could develop his skills in public speaking and to get rid of his nerves in front of large audiences. He also did this so he could learn how to better present material that is hard for most people to grasp and really understand.

Rich Habits Lesson of the Day

Your going to meet a lot of people in your life. It is important to know how to talk to people in social or business settings. I found there’s a common thread that runs through everyone. They are single-mindedly focused on themselves. Most people are thinking about one thing during every conversation- themselves. Everyone thinks they are the most important person in the world. It’s a human tendency to be selfish and this shows up everywhere, including when we are carrying on a conversation with people. When you run into these new people in life you need a plan, a process to help you turn every relationship into gold. Part of that process is to learn as much about your relationships as possible and you do that by asking questions about their life. Get to know them. Always focus on the other person and resist the human tendency to put yourself first. Make being unselfish in conversations a Rich Habit by asking these questions to every new person you meet in life:

Basic contact information: name, address, phone, email, Twitter, Facebook etc.
Are you married?
If yes, what is their spouse’s name?
Do you have any children?
If so what are their names?
What’s their birthday?
Where do they live? Do they like where they live?
do they have any hobbies?
What schools did they go to? Did they go to college or graduate school?
What schools did their spouse and children attend?
What are they most proud of?
Do they know any celebrities or important people? Who?
What do they do for a living?
What does their spouse do for a living?
Do they like to read? If so, what do they like reading? Who’s their favorite author?
Do they like music? Who’s their favorite band, singer, etc?
What do they do for a living?
If their spouse or children work, what do they do, where do they work?
Political affiliation?
Religious affiliation?
Where did they live before their current home?
Do they like play sports? If so, what and when and do they play any sports now?
Do they drink alcohol? If so, what do they drink?
What’s their favorite foods?
What type of car do they drive?
What are their goals?
What groups, non-profits or community organizations are they affiliated with?
Where do they like to vacation?
Do they travel at all? If so, where have they been?
What did their parents do for a living?
Where did they grow up?
Who are their favorite celebrities?
What licenses or professional designations do they have?
What are they really good at in life?
Do they exercise? If so, what do they do?