Task: To make yourself into the "go-to" person who is a fund of valuable information.
Tactic: Harvest, then Share Good Ideas Generously
One excellent way to demonstrate mastery in conversation is to be an artesian well of good ideas. Share these ideas with others when they want to hear them. When you're on the lookout for good and useful ideas, you'll find plenty of them to pass along. Sharing them costs you nothing and benefits others. (During times of economic troubles, some of the very best ideas to share are where to find bargains and unusual ways to save money.) However, don't barrage others with these ideas, no matter how wonderful you think they are. Instead, check first to find out if they're interested.
For example, "Joe, I just learned about a neighborhood buying club that saves its members 25% on groceries. Would you like to know how it works?"
Ways to harvest good ideas:
1. Use free public libraries for books, magazines, CDs.
2. Spend time with really smart, well-informed people.
3. Treasure-hunt the rich resources of the internet.
4. Attend cutting-edge seminars and workshops.
5. Keep your eyes and ears open as your drive through
the streets and shop through the stores.
An effective plan is to know what your friends and relatives are looking for, then write on a card what they seek.
An example: Your sister needs a low-cost, "pre-owned" baby carriage, so you recommend a free ad on Craigslist, and she finds one.
Another: A co-worker is trying to locate classmates for a school reunion and you find out how to do this online and tell him.
When you know what others are interested in, you'll be more likely to notice opportunities and pass them along. You'll develop a "Velcro mind." And you'll be in the 10% who do this. (The majority of people are self-absorbed and don't think a lot about sharing with others.)
Great ideas and good information are not conventional. They are usually bits of unconventional wisdom known only by a few curious people. So to find them, you must develop your curiosity and take advantage of unconventional resources like well-informed people and off-beat books.
Benjamin Franklin met with his group called The Junto every Friday evening for many decades. Its 12 members were a variety of tradesmen and businessmen, and at each meeting they were expected to share useful ideas they had learned during the preceding week, answering such questions as
"Have you lately heard of any citizen's thriving well, and by what means?"
To be a member, you had to agree to support the others by sharing what you learned that could be of use. Over time, all members became successful in their own pursuits.
You, too, can become a Ben Franklin kind of person who is a
people-magnet because you share both your wit and your wisdom.
