Free How To Make People Like You In 90 Seconds Or Less by Nicholas Boothman Page B

“no.” Then what? You have to ask another question. You're going nowhere:
    “Are you sure?” “Yes.” “Do you come here often?” “No.” “Have you ever thought how
     wonderful it would be to just drop everything and go bungee jumping in the middle of the afternoon?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did you realize that no matter how long and interesting you make your questions, if
     they begin with closingdown words you're more than likely going to end up with a
     one-word answer?”
    “Oh.”
    For one whole day, do nothing but ask questions and answer questions with a
     question. For variety, ask only open questions. You'll soon get the idea.
    In fairness, closing-down words do have their place police, customs officials and certain
     other regulators of the people are taught to use them to get “straight” answers. However,
     I'd like to remind any of you who have had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of
     this type of “conversation” that it probably didn't make you like the person in 90 seconds
     or less!
    There are times when you find yourself suddenly thrust into the presence of someone who's
     just too good to pass up. These delicious moments seem to coincide with the exact second
     that your brain freezes over and you go gaga: Help, what do I say? What do I do? Where shall I look? What will people think? Keep going with this line of self-questioning and you'll get the sweats, a palpitating
     heart, a beet-red face and goofy body language.
    The easiest of these situations is when the two of you are thrust together: sitting next
     to each other on a train, plane or bus; riding in an elevator; waiting in a Laundromat
     or the lobby of a hotel; working in adjacent booths at a trade show; or checking out the
     fruit to see if it's ripe at the same counter at your local supermarket. In these
     situations, you already have quite a bit in common with which to work.
    “Hi,” “Hello” and “Good morning,” accompanied by a smile, are all good ways to begin and a
     great way to get feedback. A returned smile is a good indication that you're on the right
     track. Keep it simple and unimposing; keep it courteous, happy and light. Don't get too
     close and personal right up front, or you might get excluded. You want people to say to
     their friends, “I met this really nice guy this morning,” not “This disgusting pervert
     tried to hit on me.”
    Once you're sure the other person is responding favorably to the interaction, you can try
     some more specific opening lines. Not surprisingly, an opening line works better if it's
     an open question, but you may not always be able to find one that sounds natural. Some
     times you might have to start with a closed question or a location/occasion statement: “Do
     you know what time this bank closes today?” or “Phew, that's quite a storm.” So make sure
     you have an open question ready for the follow-up in case all you get in response is a yes
     or no.
    Below are some examples of “openers” to try once you've said hello or exchanged smiles. Precede them all with a location/occasion statement.
    Anywhere
    Where are you from? I've never been there. What's it like? How did you end up here?
    On a train, plane or bus
    How long are you going to be in Duluth/Stratford/ Majorca?
    Where are you from?
    Have you always lived there? If yes, try: I've never been there. What's it like? If no, then: So where else have you lived?
    How long will you be traveling for?
    What do you think of Amtrak/Air Italia/these new Greyhound buses?
    An interesting aside: When meeting someone for the first time, North Americans tend to
     ask, “What do you do?” whereas Europeans prefer “Where are you from?”
    At the supermarket
    If you're both standing in the fresh-fish line, staring at a pasta display or checking
     out avocados, you already have something in common.
    How can you figure out if there are enough mussels in that bag for two people?
    Can you tell