Walking into the room of 300+ professional speakers in Vegas for the National Speakers Association Winter Conference made me smile. They were there to learn and grow their business -it’s always inspiring. These are my people.
Can you imagine all those personalities in one room? It’s hard to get a word in sometimes (which is funny and makes for very entertaining conversations).
These events occur a few times a year, and I look forward to reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. It’s easy at big events to just want to be safe and stay with people you know, and it’s also a treat when you get to meet new people.
For me, it’s about being in the moment. Being present with whoever is in front of me (and sometimes that’s really hard). Here are a few ways to make the most of each moment and to make it count.
Put your technology away – I find it easy to respond to texts, check social media and not focus on the person in front of me. Do you? I know when I absolutely love a conversation when I don’t reach for my phone or respond to texts.
Look someone deeply in the eyes – the gift of your undivided attention is so special to someone. They want to be seen and want to be heard. Simple really.
Ask more questions – I find speakers are always happy to share stories, tell you their successes and yes, sometimes dominate the conversation (myself included, I have been guilty of that) so this time I asked more questions to learn more about people personally and professionally – can you ask more questions?
Don’t ‘one-up’ people – I know a few people that always have a better story or better example or they know someone better … whatever. This drives me crazy. I found myself wanting to share my own experience or story then I stopped myself. It wasn’t about me; it was about them. Don’t be the person who is the one-upper! You know people like this. Be in the moment for the person you are listening to and just enjoy their experience.
Today I challenge you – can you be more in the moment. It will make your conversations more productive and more meaningful.
