How To: Be more outgoing

Keith Ferrazzi offers suggestions on how to be more outgoing. It can be painful but it’s not as hard as it seems. Talking to people you don’t know can be frightening, but what is even worse is that you miss out on opportunities to meet people. There are ways to learn to speak up.

First, find someone you know socially that you admire and use them as a role model. Watch how they act and listen to what they say. You can use their methods, but be sure the material is your own. Also, join an organization like Toastmasters. Just standing up and practicing is a great help. Get involved in an activity that you love with people you feel comfortable with. You automatically have something to talk about with them.

Think of people as a package that you want to unwrap to find out what is interesting about them. Let yourself be vulnerable. The better you get at it the more you will build relationships and the more successful you will be.