Connecting with others is perhaps the most important thing that we need to take care of while in a conversation or a meeting. It is a universal truth that every person is different. Each person has his/her own thought process, approach to life and work, ability to analyze, interested areas etc. If you are in the driver’s seat while presenting a proposal to a motley group of professionals, it is imperative that you connect with each section of the group. A finance person wouldn’t be interested in operations and a technical consultant wouldn’t care much about the finance details.
It’s not just about addressing different sections of the audience but it is also about tuning oneself to the frequency of the audience. Imagine you bring up something serious when the mood in the room is jovial and lively. You changed the state abruptly. Well, there is always a better time and place to bring up things.
Imagine you are in a party and you bump into a group which is mostly adventurous by nature while you, on the other hand, are easy going and not so much into adventures. You are by default disconnected with that group. But now you need to step out of your comfort zone and connect with them. You don’t need to develop a sudden liking for adventures but at least you can be interested in their activities. If I were in your place, I would admit that I am not so adventurous by nature, may be even crack a good joke about myself just to make everyone comfortable, and tell that I am eager to know about their experiences.
Tune yourself to the audience and you will never be left alone in a group.
