Starting a Memorable Conversation

- He walks into the elevator and you freeze. You recognize him immediately. You've watched all of his movies, you saw him get his latest Oscar and you've been following him for years. If a fan club existed, you would be the president. Yet, you stand there, babbling in your mind, trying to figure out something to say, anything. Before he steps off the elevator he nods and gives you that million dollar smile he's famous for. Ah, what a missed opportunity. Has this ever happened to you? Maybe not with a celebrity from Hollywood, but maybe a CEO of your company, an influential elected official, or someone you were standing next to at a business conference. Starting impromptu conversations is not something that comes naturally for many of us. But when we miss that golden opportunity or need to expand our social network it's a skill we wish we had. Regardless of our motivation, the impromptu conversation is a skill we can all train and improve, and in some cases even perfect. In this course, I will walk you through the steps of a simple conversation starter formula, identify potential pitfalls, I will ask you to consider some cultural considerations, and my favorite part, have you think in the moment in impromptu practice drills. My name is Tatiana Kolovou, I'm a faculty member in a top-ranked business school where I coach master's and business administration students and executives to use conversation starters for creating personal and professional connections. I know a dynamo professional who gained a spot on the board of an influential international company because of a conversation she started with a board member on a long train ride. A conversation started by a friend after approaching the CEO of his company resulted in him being asked to join a key policy-making taskforce. And after striking up a conversation in a buffet line, another colleague was invited to be part of a key company project. As you can see, the list goes on and on, but you get the idea. The ability to get a conversation going in both familiar an unfamiliar contexts is a skill we can all benefit from. Conversation starters are challenging, but at the end of the day the benefits far outweigh the time and energy invested in this essential social skill. If you don't want to be left speechless in that elevator ride with your favorite star, let's roll up our sleeves and get started.