When I was growing up in Hollywood, California, the radio station I listened to most often was KFWB where Al Jarvis was a disk jockey. I quote what he would say very often, “It’s the little things in life that mean the most to all of us.”
As I grew older, I continually wondered at the truth of this wisdom. Although the brain conceives ideas, it is the small personal things that we have a tendency to think about most often. A small gesture on our part can make a lasting effect. On more than one occasion people have told me how they felt welcomed to a new group which they were joining simply because one member of the group personally welcomed them.
Creating a small gesture can have a major impact. So, rather than leaving a small gesture to chance, think about what you can do to create a lasting, positive memory.
A fact of life is that people are going to pass judgment on you. You can’t stop that from happening, but you can influence that decision.
Here are two simple questions that can leave you with more information and leave the other person with good feelings:
(1) Ask the person what the person wants to be called. As Dale Carnegie stated in his classic, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” a person’s name is to that person the most beautiful sound in any language.”
(2) Ask the person where he or she is from. This question will immediately prompt the person to share, start a conversation, and enhance your understanding of the stranger. A bonding will accrue instantaneously.
