Ask the important people in your life what they would like engraved on their tombstone. Chisel it into your memory but don’t mention it again. Then, when the moment is right to say ‘I appreciate you’ or ‘I love you,’ fill the blanks with the very words they gave you weeks earlier.It is the best praise one can get, they will remember it till their tombstone.

The tombstone game

Do you want to receive special treatment from your store clerk, accountant, law firm junior partner, tailor, auto mechanic, maitre d’, massage therapist, or child's teacher? Send a Buttercup to their boss!<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Workers are more likely to provide their best service when you send positive feedback to their employer.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Even the most powerful individuals can be insecure and crave acceptance from others.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Be a leader and show your support by applauding or praising individuals who you want to have a positive relationship with.</li></ul>

Get Special Attention from Your Workers

Tips for better eye contact:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Pretend your eyes are stick with glue to them.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Keep eye contact until the speaker finishes.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Look away slowly and reluctantly.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Practice epoxy eye and keep eye contact with your target person even when other are speaking.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">When you are men and talking personal matter with the men just make your eye contact little less sticky as it may be misinterpreted.</li></ul>💡 Keep eye contact to make your conversation partner feel connected and understood. 💬

Improving Eye Contact

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Arrive with a full belly but an open mind.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Take a moment to survey the room and locate your targets.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Be proactive and approach people instead of waiting for them to come to you.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Keep an open stance and use body language to make others feel welcome.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Make notes on business cards to help you remember important details for future conversations.</li></ul>Don't miss out on the opportunity to network with every face in the room, you never know who could be your next lifelong friend, love of your life, or transformative business contact!

Master the Art of Networking at Parties

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">If someone's story has been interrupted by the unforeseen events, find the appropriate time and ask them to finish that story.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Always state the benefits for both parties in a meeting or favor.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Let others enjoy the joy of their generosity before asking for a favor in return.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Respect the safe havens of parties, Lunch or dinners, etc. Do not bring any unpleasant conversation or topic there.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Nobody likes being reminded of their flaws.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Don't make use of an unexpected meeting for a sensitive communication; use proper mode and time for that.</li></ul>

Little tricks of big winners

Don't give one word answer when<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Asked about "Where are you from?"</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Someone ask you "What do you do?"</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Asking for the introduction with other people.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">When Saying "Thank you"</li></ul>Never give one word answer, put some interesting facts about your home town, job and other people so that communication can go on.

No One Word Answer

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">When answering, keep the asker in the mind and curate the answer accordingly.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Look up synonyms of your daily words and make them permanent replacement.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Wait for the right time to reveal something you have in common with someone - it impresses them!</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Begin your sentences with "you" to grab your listener's attention quickly.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Instead of using clichés, come up with your own clever phrases.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Avoid making jokes at the expense of others - it will cost you in the end.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">When Delivering the bad news, share the sentiment of the receiver.</li></ul>

Master Communicator Tips 😎

Minor subtlety can make communication over voice more fruitful.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Always identify and greet the person who answers the call, even if they are not who you want to talk to.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Ask about their availability before discussing the purpose of your call.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">If you hear something in background which need their attention, ask if the person needs to attend that.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Record your business conversations and listen to them again to catch important details.</li></ul>It will create the empathy over the voice call.

Best Practices for Engaging Phone Conversations

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">If you need information, listen first, then speak. Let them finish expressing themselves so they can receive your ideas</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Facts are important but emotions can also be overwhelming. When asking for emotional situations, let them emote and validate their emotions.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">When making a mistake, make amends by doing something to benefit the victim so they are happy with the outcome.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Don't confront dishonest people directly unless it's necessary for accountability.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Try not to associate with people who have a history of lying, cheating, or being dishonest.</li></ul>

Effective Communication Strategies

To have a great conversation, tune into your partner's body language and imitate their movements. This creates an unconscious bond and makes them comfortable with you.Use the words they are using in your responses to really connect with them.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Share analogies from your conversation partner's life, not your own. This adds power and helps them see your point of view.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Avoid hesitating or using filler words like "um". Speak in complete sentences to show your understanding and sprinkle in empathy phrases like "I see what you mean" to make your listener feel heard.</li></ul>

Improve Your Conversation Skills!

Engaging on phone calls is important. Emotions and body language needs to be transferred over voice.Here are some tips to make sure your calls are effective and enjoyable:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Use positive sounds like smiles, nods, or "uh huhs" during the conversation</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Make sure to address the person by their name to keep their attention</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Speak with confidence, clarity, and credibility</li><li class="ql-align-justify">When leaving a voicemail, be short, professional, and friendly</li></ul>Remember these tips when talking on the phone to be an effective communicator. ☎️

Compliments are more meaningful when they are shared indirectly. Use praise as a tool to build stronger connections.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Use comments into your conversion which presuppose something positive about the person you talk with.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Become carrier of the good news and not a gossip or bad news.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Find the unique quality that person has and compliment on that.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Sneak in compliments in your conversations</li><li class="ql-align-justify"> Let people know how much you appreciate them by caressing them with verbal Little Strokes like ‘Nice job!’ ‘Well done!’ ‘Cool!’</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Return the compliments by saying something that expresses ‘That’s very kind of you.'</li></ul>

Power of Praise

Good posture, stand confidently and smile softly will convey the winning image to others. Make sure to avoid fidgeting as it will gives other a gut feeling that you're fibbing.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Stand tall and move with confidence and smile</li><li class="ql-align-justify"> Do not fidget, twitch, wiggle, squirm, or scratch. And above all, keep your paws away from your face</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Pay attention to body language and reactions of others and plan your move accordingly</li></ul>Practice beforehand to become the Super Somebody you want to be. Visualize yourself walking, smiling and chatting confidently. 🏆😎

The Winning Look

Once a month, scramble your life. Do something you'd never dream of doing. Participate in a sport, go to an exhibition, or hear a lecture on something totally out of your experience. You can get 80% of the right lingo and insider questions from just one exposure.When meeting new people, find out what the hot issues are in their field and use the lingo of their profession or hobbies. This will make discussions more interesting and help them open up more.If you are visiting a new country, please learn about their cultural norms such as dos and don'ts, greetings, handshakes, and gestures.

How to Be an Insider

Greet With a Genuine Smile<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Don't greet with an immediate smile.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Take a small pause and soak in the other person's persona.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Allow a warm, genuine smile to flood your face and eyes.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">When introduce with the new acquaintance, give them warm smile, total body turn and undivided attention.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">When meeting with the groups of people, grace each with a distinct smile.</li></ul>This split-second delay will convince people your smile is genuine and meant only for them. It will engulf them like a warm wave and make them feel valued and appreciated.

The Power of a Flooding Smile

Do you struggle with the small talk? Don't worry you are not alone. Just try to match tone and attitude with others as it matters the most in conversation.You can use the following methods to handle small talk:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Join in on a conversation by saying "excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear..."</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Listen the words of other to get clues to their preferred topic.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Read the Latest news before you leave home, it will give enough topics for starter.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Ask the host for introductions with few facts as conversation starters.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Simply repeat the last few words of your conversation partner like a parrot.</li></ul>

How to initiate Small Talk

You can learn practical ideas on how to speak, what words should be used, how to adept different environment. These are very simple strategy which is applicable in real life. 

"You'll not only break the ice, you'll melt it away with your new skills." -- Larry King "The lost art of verbal communication may be revitalized by Leil Lowndes." -- Harvey McKay, author of “How to Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive” What is that magic quality makes some people instantly loved and respected? Everyone wants to be their friend (or, if single, their lover!) In business, they rise swiftly to the top of the corporate ladder. What is their "Midas touch?" What it boils down to is a more skillful way of dealing with people. The author has spent her career teaching people how to communicate for success. In her book How to Talk to Anyone (Contemporary Books, October 2003) Lowndes offers 92 easy and effective sure-fire success techniques-- she takes the reader from first meeting all the way up to sophisticated techniques used by the big winners in life. In this information-packed book you’ll find: <ul><li>9 ways to make a dynamite first impression</li> <li>14 ways to master small talk, "big talk," and body language</li> <li>14 ways to walk and talk like a VIP or celebrity</li> <li>6 ways to sound like an insider in any crowd</li> <li>7 ways to establish deep subliminal rapport with anyone</li> <li>9 ways to feed someone's ego (and know when NOT to!)</li> <li>11 ways to make your phone a powerful communications tool</li> <li>15 ways to work a party like a politician works a room</li> <li>7 ways to talk with tigers and not get eaten alive </li></ul> In her trademark entertaining and straight-shooting style, Leil gives the techniques catchy names so you'll remember them when you really need them, including: "Rubberneck the Room," "Be a Copyclass," "Come Hither Hands," “Bare Their Hot Button,” “The Great Scorecard in the Sky," and "Play the Tombstone Game,” for big success in your social life, romance, and business. How to Talk to Anyone, which is an update of her popular book, Talking the Winner's Way (see the 5-star reviews of the latter) is based on solid research about techniques that work! By the way, don't confuse How to Talk to Anyone with one of Leil's previous books, How to Talk to Anybody About Anything. This one is completely different!

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Personal Development

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Corporate Culture

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Communication

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Books

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Leadership & Management

Leil Lowndes is an author and internationally recognized communications expert who specializes in subconscious interactions. She has conducted hundreds of seminars in the US and around the world for major corporations, associations, and the general public, and frequently appears as a guest expert on national television shows and major news networks. She has authored ten bestselling books on communications — most recently, How to Talk to Anyone at Work: 72 Little Tricks for Big Success Communicating on the Job — and is published in over 26 foreign languages. She lives in New York City.