I Have 9 Tips To Make You More Sociable. Do You Have 2 Minutes?
These tips are targeted to Indians. People of other cultures might not find them relevant.
It’s not everyday you get tips to become sociable from an introvert! Yes, I am an introvert and I will help you get noticed in the social setting. After all, only a man who has not eaten for 5 days will know the effect of hunger. Extroverts can’t help you in becoming more sociable because they are naturally extroverted. They don’t follow any ‘strategy.’ It is we the introverts who need to come up with some strategies to be more sociable and then we try and incorporate those strategies in our natural behaviour. So, without further ado, let’s jump right in.
Don’t Stare At The Eyes All Through The Conversation
I have read so many tips on how to be more sociable and 90% of them advised me to look at the eyes of the person you are talking to. This is true. You need to look at the eyes of the person. Otherwise, either you will come across as weak, under-confident or as disrespectful.
However, if you keep on staring at the eyes of the person, that person will get uncomfortable. Trust me. I have seen that happen on a first hand basis. Don’t stare like that Kay of Men In Black. Look at the person intermittently. Look away and then look at the person again. But if you try to do this consciously, it will get awkward. So act natural. Ofcourse, don’t use this tip if you are talking to your girlfriend. In fact, when you talk to your girlfriend, don’t use any ‘strategy’ whatsoever to come off as extroverted.
Don’t Forget That You Are Wearing a Mask. People Can’t See You Smiling
One of the easiest ways of appearing sociable is to smile at people. But these days, we need to wear masks to protect ourselves. Hence most of our facial gestures that help us to appear friendly remain hidden beneath the mask. So you need to give extra effort as far as body language is concerned. Nod a little to acknowledge the presence of the person. Speak and say hello instead of just smiling. And when you speak, speak a little louder, otherwise your voice will get muffled because of the mask. Wave your hand- it can be a good proxy for your smile.
In Your Urge To Praise, Don’t Act Like An Insurance Agent
Have you seen those insurance agents? They will praise your shirt, your pants, your eyeglass, your smartphone and perhaps even your underwear. But you can sense a lack of genuineness in their praise.
So those of you who have read How To Win Friends and Influence People, you might try to praise people and their clothes and what not. But be genuine. You can’t fake it. If you can’t find anything about a person that is praiseworthy, maybe you two are not compatible and nothing good will come out of that conversation. Generally, it is obvious that you WILL find something in the person who you are talking to that is praiseworthy. Praise that thing. But not directly. Suppose you want to praise the shirt of the person. Instead of directly saying “Nice shirt!,” ask him “Where did you buy the shirt from?”
Please Say Goodbye While Leaving
A lot of people have the habit of not saying goodbye when they leave. This looks extremely bad. No matter how talkative, how approachable you are, if you don’t say goodbye when you leave, it severely dents your social appearance. So please do it.
In This Dark World, People Need Hope. Give Them That!
In our urge to appear analytical while talking, we tend to speak about the harsh reality a little too much. But man! People are aware of the issues plaguing our world. No need to reiterate them. If a young boy is talking about trying to bag a government job, don’t trash his hopes by bluntly pointing to the poor job situation. Instead, say something like this, “That’s very good. Remember, whatever you learn while trying to ace those government exams will not go to waste even if you don’t get a government job. Keep trying. But side by side, keep looking for high paying private jobs as well…” You get the point.
Wish People Happy Birthday One Week Before Their Birthday
In this world of Facebook notifications, wishing happy birthday has lost its sheen. People don’t get that warm and fuzzy feeling when others wish them happy birthday because they know that Facebook notified them. So to show somebody that you have actually remembered her birthday without the assistance of Facebook notification, wish her a happy birthday one week before her actual birthday.
Please Try Not To Appear So Intellectual That People Get Afraid of You
If you keep on establishing that you just watch the movies of Bergman or read just Karl Marx and nothing else, you run the risk of getting alienated. Most people who you meet are Marvel Fans. They read Sidney Sheldon or J.K Rowling. Some of them haven’t even heard about Bergman. How would such people connect with you? They will see you as an unapproachable school master. So try not to establish yourself as an intellectual 24*7. I am not saying that you dumb yourself down. But try to be someone who doesn’t induce insecurity in others.
Don’t Be That Guy Who Keeps On Saying “Let’s Go Home” While Traveling
There will always be that guy in a group of friends who will insist that it’s late and they should all go home now. Man! Don’t be that guy. I am not asking you to be irresponsible and forget all your duties. But when you are holidaying or traveling, you tend to stretch your day as long as possible. And no one will thank you if you keep on saying “Let’s go home now.”
If You Are a Horny Introvert, Don’t Make It Weird While Talking To a Woman
Yeah. I know. I am an introvert. And I am horny. Always. And when I talk to the members of the opposite sex, I really need to consciously control myself to not get swayed by my Pituitary gland while talking to them. Remember, women have a god gifted power to sense when you check out their breasts. Try to keep looking at their face while talking. But don’t get lost in the beauty of their faces. Fool heart by imagining that you already have 10/20 beautiful girlfriends and the girl whom you are talking to right now is no match against your girlfriends! On a serious note: Try to see them as human beings.
Try these 9 tips and don’t forget to tell me if they really did help you or not. Till then, let me go out and make some new friends and girlfriends…
