Improve Your Communication Skills, 2nd Edition

Trains and planes
Some of our most memorable conversations can be with 
strangers when travelling. Something about the neutral 
space of an airport or railway station makes it easier for us 
to reach out to people. Here are some tips on making the 
most of travelling time.
Carry a book or a music player.
This shows that you 
are not desperate to talk – and offers an escape route if the 
person turns out to be difficult or boring. A book can also 
be a conversation starter.
When you sit down near another person, smile and 
greet them. 
Notice their response.
Respect the other person’s personal space
– 
especially when it is constricted (particularly important on 
aircraft!).
Offer help
– luggage, directions, useful information. 
This is a great way to break the ice. But don’t expect 
anything in return!
( c) 2011 Kogan Page L imited, All Rights Reserved.

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195 Networking: The New Conversation
Find new ways of making your voice heard. People now keep in 
touch in a host of ways: social networking sites, e-mail, instant 
messaging, blogging… Think about how you can use electronic 
media to promote your messages and offer useful gifts to people 
in your network.
Regularly look at things differently. This is not a matter of 
simply ‘thinking outside the box’. Use some simple disciplines to 
nudge your thinking into new areas. Deliberately ask key 
questions, such as:
• How else could I view this relationship?
• How do they see me?
• What don’t they know about me?
• Who else would be interested in this?
• How else could I present this idea?
• Where else would this work?
• What would this look like in a completely different