You Need to Talk More

I used to be very quiet around people I didn't know well, especially in group settings.

I told myself that I was being mysterious or smart by not saying anything stupid.

The truth is all that happened was I missed thousands of opportunities and connections to grow with people.

I have since spent the last 10 years working on this skill and it has paid off in every facet of life.

Learning to talk more is absolutely crucial for your personal development, network, and relationship building.

It's how you make a best friend.

Find a new job.

Meet a romantic partner.

It's also the highest earning skill you can have.

You have absolutely already met the person who could have changed your life, earned you significantly more money, and you just didn't talk to them enough to make a difference.

We are always worried about saying something stupid or saying something that would make people think less of us.

But unless you say a lot, people don't think of you at all.

This is a skill, just like learning to play the piano or draw.

It's not something you are born with.

People who are good at talking from an early age were thrown into situations where they had to talk a lot and got good at it.

Maybe they worked in retail and dealt with customers all day.

Maybe they had siblings who never shut up and they had to compete for attention.

But you can learn this skill too.

By doing it.

Talk to people and keep the conversation going until you feel like it's over, then keep it going a bit longer.

This is the same way you build muscle in the gym.

You go until you feel like your muscle is done, then go a bit longer.

People love to talk about themselves, so just ask them anything about their situation and that will keep the conversation going.

Ask about their kids, their parents, ask if they're into cars.

Literally anything you can think of.

If you don't feel confident enough yet to ask random questions, just make statements and end them with "right?"

"Wow, this is a cool venue, right?"

People will start talking anyway.

The only way people remember you is through the act of conversation.

Start talking more.

You will thank you.