New York, NY

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Is a room full of strangers your worst nightmare?

Have you ever spent a party not knowing whom to talk to,

feeling so awkward you wish you could disappear?

The holiday party season is pure hell for many men and women, who cringe at the thought of attending social events. Yet some of these party poopers are now party pros: Olivia Fox Cabane is teaching people to work a room with grace, ease and efficiency. Now, she's giving you ten simple, easy, non-alcoholic tips to go from self-conscious to self-confident.

10 TIPS TO FEEL MORE CONFIDENT AT ANY EVENT

1. Find out everything you can about those who will be attending: Where are they from? What do they do? What are their interests? This is what you can talk to them about.

2. Wear something that people can talk about; anything that will draw attention and inspire people to approach you. What do you have that would be a good conversation starter?

3. Read a couple of mainstream newspapers just before the event so that you can use the headlines as icebreakers. The more conversation fuel you have, the easier it will be to get a conversation going.

4. Get there early: This gives you the opportunity to warm up slowly as the other guests gradually arrive.

5. Remember in detail the accomplishment you're most proud of just before entering the room. The memory will flood your system with endorphins, which is an instant confidence booster.

6. Breathe! When feeling self-conscious, people often draw short, shallow breaths, which only make things worse. Focus on taking deep breaths, which have an instant calming and grounding effect.

7. Pretend that you're the host of the party: it boosts your self-confidence because it makes the event your event. Better yet, volunteer to be on the greeting committee if you can.

8. Position yourself around the desert buffet: it makes for easy conversations, and when people eat, their endorphin levels rise, which puts them in a better mood.

9. Approach people standing alone: they're probably feeling awkward and lonely and will be grateful to you for saving them from anonymity.

10. Compliment them on something they're wearing, and then ask an open-ended question about it. It's one of the most effective icebreakers around.

Get more free tips on this subject (and many others) at the Spitfire website http://www.spitfireteam.com), chock-full of free articles, audio seminars and other goodies to help you become a master communicator!

Communications expert Olivia Fox Cabane is available for print, radio, and TV interviews. She's quick, she's witty, she's funny, your audience will LOVE her, and she's helping people across the country become simply irresistible!

Olivia can share with your readers, viewers or listeners:

- 10 Tips to become Simply Irresistible

- How to make a great first impression

- How to master the art of conversation

- How to work a room with ease, grace and efficiency

…And much, much more…

Author of several networking handbooks and Executive Director of networking consulting firm Spitfire Communications, Olivia has lectured on networking at MIT and the United Nations. She was recently interviewed as the networking expert on Bloomberg TV and Entrepreneur Magazine Radio. Olivia is fluent in 4 languages (including Spanish)

Olivia Fox

Spitfire Communications

New York, NY

212-561-9146

First Url: Spitfire Communications